


Gone Fishing

by ahgasemyname



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: But only the first half, Catfishing, How did I write something with no smut involved? D:, M/M, Mistaken Identity, chatfic, mature rating for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:09:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28973376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahgasemyname/pseuds/ahgasemyname
Summary: JB is a musician/producer and owner of Offshore Paradise Ent. Jinyoung is a blogger and writer for a magazine. When they meet on a dating app where Jinyoung is using someone else's photos and JB only uses cat photos, Jinyoung realizes too late that he catfished someone he actually knows.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Jackson Wang, Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung, Kunpimook Bhuwakul | BamBam/Kim Yugyeom, Mark Tuan/Jackson Wang
Comments: 2
Kudos: 71
Collections: JJP Big Bang





	Gone Fishing

Jaebeom was in the middle of reading over the lyrics his latest  [ protégé ](https://protege.stanford.edu/) had handed off to him when his phone pinged with a notification. He scrunched his brow and sighed, setting the sheet down on his desk, and stretching his arms over his head. He glanced at the clock on his computer screen, reading 22:55. He sighed again. He supposed it was about time for a break. He had been in the studio since 11:00, trying to perfect the melody for a project he had picked up on the side. He had gotten side tracked when the younger male knocked lightly on his door, peering around the edge of it shyly, and clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

Jaebeom rubbed at his face tiredly, his eyes falling to stare at the familiar blinking light on his phone. A grim reminder that he had been avoiding all signs of life outside of the studio for the past ten hours. His stomach rumbled in protest at the lack of sustenance it had received, only a few chips and a Monster energy drink finding their way into his belly. He reached for his phone, half expecting a barrage of text messages from his friends, berating him for being locked up all day, asking if he had eaten yet, or just plain being irritating. 

He was quite surprised to find that the most recent notification had come from a dating app Mark had forced him to try out recently, his lack of a social life outside of their circle apparently problematic. He needed to “get some dick” as Mark had so plainly put it. So here he was, clicking on the unfamiliar app to read a message from someone called “babypeach4u”. He clicked on the message, blinking at the obviously sarcastic undertone of their words.

_ Babypeach4u: Why do you only have photos of cats? _

Jaebeom clicked on the photo in the corner of the message, taking him to babypeach4u’s profile page. He snickered when it loaded, his eyes scanning the page slowly as he read it out loud.

“ _ If you want somebody on your body, I’ll be somebody to you _ ? Sounds like cheesy song lyrics..”

He rolled his eyes as he continued, noting that the photos and the description seemed to lack depth.

“ _ I’m not looking for happily ever after, just a happy ending at the end of the day. I don’t mind romantic stuff like flowers, but let’s face it, most of us aren’t here for that. I welcome dick pics. Oh, feel free to buy me gifts, daddy. Winky face.  _ What the hell kind of introduction is that? I guess if he’s only here to get laid it works, but..”

Jaebeom put his phone down, letting the screen dim as he turned his eyes back to the computer screen in front of him. He groaned when he took in the amount of work he hadn’t gotten done that day, his mind wandering every so often to things he needed to do around the house, or the fact that he had to make an appointment at the veterinary clinic for Nora soon. She seemed to be lacking energy lately and he had to make sure his princess wasn’t ill. He was about to pack up his things and call it a day when his phone pinged again, this time a notification from Mark.

Mark, of course. Dear Mark, his best friend who had suggested this shitty app in the first place. He grunted and unlocked his phone again, the profile he had yet to close staring back at him from the bright screen. He reread the profile silently, his mind churning. He decided he would reply back, but just once.

_ Norasdad16: “Why do you only have pictures with no shirt on?” _

It wasn’t exactly true, there were one or two photos of the man with a shirt on, but there were plenty without.

_ Babypeach4u: Because I look good without a shirt on? _

_ Norasdad16: If you say so.. Did you want something other than to insult my precious Nora? _

_ Babypeach4u: What? I wasn’t insulting her. I was just wondering why you only have photos of her, but not yourself. Don’t most people like… wanna see what the person they’re talking to looks like? Are you that ugly? _

_ Norasdad16: I’m not most people. _

_ Norasdad16: I’m not here to meet people that are just looking for a hookup or want to go out just based on appearance. I prefer to get to know someone on a deeper level. Why do you need to see what I look like to get to know me? Is it really that important? _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh. _

_ Norasdad16: And I’m not ugly for the record, but I don’t think that matters because this conversation is over. _

_ Norasdad16: Good luck with whatever you’re looking for… babypeach. _

Jaebeom closed the chat, his thumb hovering over the uninstall option, but he signed and opted to read whatever it was that Mark had to say first. Maybe not everyone on this app was as obnoxious as this babypeach guy.

_ Mark: Hey did you eat yet? _

_ Jaebeom: Some asshole messaged me on that dating app you told me about. Asked me why I only had photos of Nora and if I’m too ugly to show myself. _

_ Mark: They what?!?! Who leads with that? _

_ Jaebeom: Clearly this babypeach whatever… I looked over his profile. Seems like a self-absorbed guy just looking to get laid. _

_ Mark: Not worth your time, Beommie. _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah.. I know. _

_ None of them seem to be, though. When is someone who actually wants to TALK, not just get their dick sucked gonna message me?  _ _ ☹️ _

_ Mark: Maybe it was a bad idea for you to download this app. I’m sorry for suggesting it. Maybe you should just delete it. _

_ Jaebeom: Maybe you’re right. It isn’t like there are many prospects on there.. Everyone is either just looking for a hookup or is a bot. I’ll delete it tomorrow. I’m gonna head home and get something to eat. Talk to you later, hyung. _

_ Mark: Don’t worry Beommie, you’ll find someone. Until then, you still have me! I’m as single as you are. Goodnight. _

\----------------------

Jinyoung huffed and tossed his phone across his bed, watching it bounce off of the mattress and onto the floor. He slammed his head back against the wooden headboard, groaning when the sting of the impact buzzed in his brain. Who in the fuck was this “norasdad16” guy anyway to talk to him like that? He had to be some kind of shut in nerd with a profile like that. Who wrote that they were a professional cat dad and liked to take photos of nature on a dating app, anyway? He wasn’t sure what had even possessed him to DM the guy honestly. Maybe it was morbid curiosity, but Jinyoung had come to find that the guy was even less pleasant than he had originally imagined he would be.

He grunted and climbed off of his bed, walking around it to retrieve his phone. He quickly smashed an annoyed Tweet onto his profile, about to lock his phone again when the group chat with his roommates flashed a new message. He rolled his eyes, settling back down on the edge of his bed and he opened the chat. He instantly regretted it, seeing the memes and questioning tones of the messages in the chat pane.

_ Cornchip: What’s going on??  _

_ Jinyoung: For fucks sake Yugyeom. _

_ And it’s HYUNG to you, brat. _

_ Cornchip: Ok, HYUNG. What’s going on? What was that tweet about, hmm? _

_ Muscled Freak: What tweet? _

_ Jinyoung: God, you two are really nosey. Why am I friends with you again?  _ _ 🙄 _

_ Cornchip: Because you love us. _

_ Muscled Freak: Because we pay a third of your rent. _

_ Jinyoung:  _ _ 🤦♂️ _

_ Ok fine. You know how I’ve been using that dating app? _

_ Cornchip: You mean using the guys you meet on it? _

_ Jinyoung: Yugyeom… _ _  
_ _ Don’t be surprised if you get home to find all of your stuff in the yard. _

_ Cornchip: What?! No! Hyung, I was kidding.  _

_ Please don’t throw my stuff outside. _

_ Jinyoung: 😤😤😤 _

_ Muscled Freak: Jinyoung seriously, what’s going on? _

_ Cornchip: Yeah hyung, what did you do?  _

_ I mean, what happened? _

_ Jinyoung: I don’t want to tell you anymore. _

_ Muscled Freak: Yugyeom, shut your mouth. Jinyoung, talk. Now. _

_ Jinyoung: Ok, well, I may have messaged this guy that had a lot of pictures of his cats.. _

_ Muscled Freak: Go on. _

_ Jinyoung: And asked him if he only had pictures of his cats because he’s ugly… _

_ Muscled Freak: OMG Jinyoung, what the fuck is wrong with you? _

_ Cornchip: Yeah hyung, that’s mean. Even for you. _

_ Jinyoung: I know. I know.I don’t know what I was thinking. He just seemed kind of easy to tease with how he defended his cat so fast! He insulted my picture first. _

_ Muscled Freak: Why? What’s wrong with your picture? _

_ Jinyoung: Nothing. He just.. He seemed kind of lame anyway. Said something about just wanting to connect with people based on personality, not looks. 🤷♂️ _

_ Cornchip: We aren’t all just after dick like you are. _

_ Muscled Freak: He has a point, Jinyoung. Not everyone out there wants a one night stand. Maybe he wants an actual relationship. Did you think about that before you decided to be mean to him? _

_ Jinyoung: I- Why are you attacking me? _

_ Muscled Freak: Because someone has to. _

_ You really just.. You know what, Jinyoung? It’s fine. I’m sure he’ll forget all about it and you can go back to your hunt for dick. The rest of us have shit to do in the morning so I’m going to bed. Goodnight. _

_ Jinyoung: Don’t you have anything to add to that, Yugyeom? _

_ Cornchip: No, I don’t. He’s right, though. I have a class to teach in the morning so I’m going to bed, also. Maybe you should think about apologizing to that guy. _

\----------------------

Jinyoung knew his friends were right, as they were rarely wrong when it came to his attitude about something. He was standoffish, a bit of a snob, and definitely lacked interest in having a real relationship with someone. He preferred to hit and it quit it as they said, often finding himself in someone’s bed one day and blocking them the next. It was a rare occasion when he would even consider letting them fuck him more than once, let alone have a second date. Yet, here he was, staring at this god forsaken app, debating on apologizing to this norasdad16 guy for coming off as rude when they barely even spoke to one another.

“Aish. Why should I apologize? I don’t even know this guy.” 

He muttered, rolling his eyes, and throwing himself back onto his bed. He turned his head to glance at his open laptop, the computer sitting idle on the desk nearby. He had a book review that was due for the magazine he had contracted with in two days. Though, he hadn’t even started on it. It wouldn’t take him long to drum out some pretty words and praises, alluding to the charms of the world the author depicted in between the pages. So here he was, having a comical argument with himself about whether or not he should send his apologies to a man he didn’t know, that he would likely never speak to again, and had no interest in. All because his friends were better people than he was and had gotten into his head.

“Alright, fine. Here we go.”

Jinyoung swiped away the lock screen, booted up the app, and hovered his thumb over the last conversation he had had. He swallowed down his pride and opened it, quickly typing out a message before letting out the breath he had been holding.

_ Babypeach4u: So I talked to my friends and they think that maybe I was a bit too hard on you about the cats. They’re right. I’m sorry. _

_ Norasdad16: You think? _

_ I don’t know why I’m even replying to you.. If that’s all you had to say then apology accepted. I’m deleting the app now so good luck to you. _

_ Babypeach4u: Deleting? Why? Is it because of me? _

_ Norasdad16: Not just you. Just in general. Everyone is looking for a hookup. I’m not. Doesn’t seem worth my time.  _

_ I don’t know why I’m even telling you this. It’s not like you care. _

\----------------------

_ Jaebeom: I was just about to delete the app and that guy messaged me again. _

_ Mark: What? What the hell did he want this time? _

_ Jaebeom: He- _

_ Apologized. _

_ Mark: Oh, well at least there’s that. You still deleting? _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah, I think so. He said his friends made him feel bad. Not like he was sincere or anything.  _

_ Guess I’m just not worth it. _

_ Mark: Beommie.. _

_ Don’t say that. You're plenty worth it. Hell, if it wasn’t so weird because you’re my best friend I’d date you. _

_ Jaebeom: Thanks, I think. _

_ Mark: Oh, come on. You know I didn’t mean that in a negative way. Can you really see us dating either? I’ve seen your dick more than enough times already. As impressive as it is, I don’t wanna fuck you. _

_ Jaebeom: Wouldn’t I be the one fucking you if my dick is that impressive? _

_ Mark: See, this is why it would never work. We’re both tops. _

_ I don’t mind switching here and there, but I’m not letting that thing near my ass. Sorry, but I’d like to sit down the next day. _

_ Jaebeom: Thanks, hyung. I needed a good laugh. But you’re right. It wouldn’t work. We’re better as friends.  _

_ I love you, though.  _ _ 😚 _

_ Mark: I love you, too, Beommie. Now are you giving up? _

_ Jaebeom: I don’t know…  _

_ Wtf? He just messaged me again. _

_ Mark: 👀👀👀 _

_ Are you gonna talk to him? _

_ Jaebeom: Maybe I’ll see what he wants. _

_ He asked if I wanna talk about my reasons for giving up on the app. _

_ I thought I was clear that it’s because I mostly run into people like him that only care about physical stuff. _

_ Mark: Maybe he’s not as awful as you thought he was? _

_ Jaebeom: I dunno.. Should I reply?  _

\----------------------

  
  


_ Jinyoung: Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I’m a terrible person, you’re right. _

_ Muscled Freak: What happened now? _

_ Jinyoung: That cat guy. He said he’s deleting the app. He said it isn’t my fault, but that everyone on there isn’t serious. I feel like I was the final push to make him give up. _

_ What if he tries to kill himself because he’s a sad man with no love in his life because of me? _

_ Muscled Freak: I don’t think it's that deep, Jinyoung. But you are kind of an asshole. _

_ Jinyoung: Should I try talking to him again? _

_ Muscled Freak: I don’t know, Jinyoung. He said you’re not the only one and from what I can tell from your adventures, there really isn’t much to offer other than nothing serious on that app. He’s a dime a dozen. _

_ Actually, maybe it would do you some good to talk to the guy. Maybe he’ll teach you some humanity. You can get dicked all you want, but it’s not going to fix your shitty personality. _

_ Jinyoung: Wow. Thanks a lot, Jackson. Didn’t know you thought so highly of me. _

_ Muscled Freak: It’s my job as your best friend to call you on your shit. You really need to stop taking out your insecurities on strangers. It’s not healthy. _

_ Where the hell is Yugyeom, anyway? I thought he’d be all over this. _

_ Jinyoung: Nice segue. He’s at dance practice with the kids. _

_ But anyway, I’m not insecure. I just know how to get what I want. _

_ Muscled Freak: If you say so. I still think you could learn a thing or two from this guy about what it means to be, you know, nice, to people who aren’t always on the same page as you. _

_ Jinyoung: Is that a book joke? Fine, I’ll talk to him. No promises though. He probably deleted the app already. _

  
  


\----------------------

_ Babypeach4u: Ah, you’re still here. Good. _

_ Norasdad16: ??? _

_ Babypeach4u: I uh.. _

_ I wanted to apologize again. You seem like a decent person and I don’t want you to feel put off about dating because of me. _

_ Norasdad16: It’s not because of you. _

_..Ok, maybe it kind of is. There’s a lot of other stuff, too, though. _

_ Babypeach4u: Do you wanna talk about it? _

_ Norasdad16: There isn’t really much to talk about. I just want a serious relationship and no one else seems to. _

_ Babypeach4u: Ah, I see. Well, have you tried like, going out? Not just looking online? Cause you’re right. Most guys on here are looking for a one and done deal. _

_ Norasdad16: Guys like yourself? _

_ Babypeach4u: Well, it’s not that I’m opposed to a relationship, I just haven’t found anyone interesting enough to want to be in one with recently. Nothing wrong with having a little fun, either. _

_ Norasdad16: I see. _

_ Well, due to my circumstances I can’t really go out looking for a relationship freely. _

_ Babypeach4u: Circumstances? _

_ Norasdad16: My job doesn’t exactly allow for too much public fraternization. _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh. What do you do? _

_ Norasdad16: I’m a musician. _

_ Babypeach4u: Like in a band? _

_ Norasdad16: No, like an.. I don’t know if I should even be telling you this. _

_ Babypeach4u: Why, are you an idol or something? _

_ Norasdad16: Or something.. _

_ Babypeach4u: Wait. So are you like really famous and your company doesn’t allow public dating? Is that why you can’t go out and meet people and you resort to this shitty dating app? _

_ Norasdad16: No, I’m not really famous or anything _

_ The company is actually mine, but there are fans… _

_ Babypeach4u: Ah, sasaengs. So even you have those.. _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. I mean, it isn’t terrible, but I don’t feel comfortable showing that side of myself to them. _

_ They might try to harm my partner or something. It’s hard to just go out to the bar with my friends sometimes. _

_ Babypeach4u: I understand now why you’re hiding behind your cat. People might recognize you online and try to talk to you for selfish reasons. I’m sorry I made you feel bad about it. _

_ Norasdad16: It’s okay. I’m glad you understand. _

_ Babypeach4u: So does that mean you don’t hate me? _

_ Norasdad16: I don’t hate you, but you were kind of rude straight out of the gate. _

_ Babypeach4u: I assure you that there is nothing straight about my gate. _

_ Norasdad16: 😂😂😂 _

_ Babypeach4u: Good, you’re laughing. So can we continue talking or are you still leaving? _

_ Norasdad16: I suppose I can give it another chance.. _

\----------------------

Jaebeom smiled to himself as he closed the app. He was oddly surprised by the turn of events. He wasn’t usually too open with people even online about his occupation, but he felt somehow at ease sharing this information with babypeach. Maybe Mark was right and the guy wasn’t so bad, afterall. He could see himself having more chats with him in the future if time allowed for it, his schedule often packed tight. It left little room for him to text even his best of friends, let alone new acquaintances. He figured he ought to update Mark about the situation before his hyung blew up his phone with questions in the morning.

_ Jaebeom: That… wasn’t so bad. _

_ Mark: You were gone for a bit. You talked to him then? _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah. He was surprisingly normal? _

_ Mark: What do you mean normal? _

_ Jaebeom: Well, I told him about my job making it difficult to date.. _

_ Mark: Jaebeom.. _

_ You didn’t tell him who you are did you? _

_ Jaebeom: What? No. Just.. _

_ Mark: Just? _

_ Jaebeom: I may have mentioned that I own a label and there’s some fans that are less than pleasant to deal with and that they make dating less or looking for a date difficult. _

_ Mark: OMFG Jaebeom. You know there’s not many independent labels that are noteworthy out there. What if he looks for you? What if he’s a stalker? _

_ Jaebeom: I don’t think he’s a stalker, hyung. _

_ Mark: What makes you so sure? _

_ Jaebeom: I dunno. He was just so calm when I told him. _

_ He said that makes sense why I would hide behind cat photos. If people knew who I was they might try to take advantage of me. _

_ Mark: And you think that this guy that was only interested in hooking up isn’t gonna try to take advantage of you? _

_ Jaebeom: No. I don’t. _

_ Mark: I.. Just be careful Beommie. We don’t need a repeat of last time. _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah, I know. We just started talking. If I notice any red flags I’ll make sure to get out right away. _

_ Mark: And call me. Right away if he does or say anything strange. _

_ Jaebeom: I will.  _

_ Mark? _

_ Mark: Yeah, Jaebeom? _

_ Jaebeom: Thank you. _

_ Mark: Any time. I always got your back. _

_ Jaebeom: I know. Same goes for me, too. I gotta meet up with another producer soon, though, so I’ll talk to you later. _

_ Mark: Yeah, I gotta go shopping anyway. Catch you later, man. _

\----------------------

Jinyoung hummed, satisfied with the way things had turned out. This norasdad guy hadn’t been all that bad after he had learned his reasons for hiding behind his cat. Maybe he was actually quite attractive and just didn’t want people to judge him based on that, or finding out who he was right away. Though, it was a bit strange he had given Jinyoung that information if he was scared of people finding out who he was. It was something to think about. He shrugged and tossed his phone onto the mattress, determined to get some work done on his book review before checking his other messages.

He yawned and stretched two hours later, his fingers cramping from vigorous typing. He was happy with the amount of words he had gotten onto the page, though he still needed to proofread before submitting it to the editors. He spun in his chair, glancing at his discarded phone on the bed, and he reached for it to see what was going on in their group chat. His two best friends lived with him, but they had their own lives and often communicated via their group chat, rather than in person when they weren’t home at the same time.

_ Cornchip: Wait, what did I miss? _

_ Jinyoung: He’s actually not bad.. _

_ Cornchip: Who? The cat guy? _

_👀👀👀_ _Did you see what he looks like?_

_ Jinyoung: No, but apparently the reason he doesn’t show his face is because he’s an idol. _

_ Cornchip: He’s what?! _

_ Jinyoung: Yeah. He said he’s not that popular, but he still has some crazy fans and can’t really go out looking for a date. _

_ I guess he owns his own label? _

_ Cornchip: Oh wow. That’s actually pretty cool. _

_ Wait, you’re not trying to hook up with him still, are you? _

_ Jinyoung: What? No. We’re just talking for now. I feel really bad about the way I treated him and I want to actually get to know him. He might be really nice? Plus, he’s probably attractive if he’s got fangirls. _

_ Cornchip: 🤦♂️ Of course. _

_ Jinyoung: What? There’s nothing wrong with wanting an attractive man. _

_ Muscled Freak: You “want” him now? _

_ Cornchip: Jackson! Heeeeeyyy. _

_ Jinyoung: I don’t “want” him per se, but if I’m gonna date someone I’d prefer they be easy on the eyes. _

_ Cornchip: Who are you and what have you done with Jinyoung? _

_ Muscled Freak: Yeah, since when do you even think about dating? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jinyoung: Hey! I think about it. I just haven’t found anyone worth dating. _

_ Muscled Freak: And this idol cat guy is? _

_ Jinyoung: I never said that. _

_ Cornchip: Okay, Jinyoung. _

_ Muscled Freak: Okay, Jinyoung. _

_ Jinyoung: I’m done talking to you two. I have a book review to proofread. _

_ Cornchip: 🙋♂️ _

_ Jackson: We’ll talk about this later. _

\----------------------

Yugyeom was suspicious. It wasn’t common for Jinyoung to speak of another man in a tone other than good for fucking, so this was a very pressing concern. He decided to do some recon and contact his boyfriend, Bam Bam, for help.

_ Yugyeom: Bam Bam! _

_ Bam Bam: Yes baby, what is it? _

_ Yugyeom: Something is going on with Jinyoung-hyung. _

_ Bam Bam: Oh? Spill the tea. _

_ Yugyeom: He’s been using this dating app and getting all these guys to do him favors and stuff… _

_ Bam Bam: Oh, that. We been knew. _

_ Yugyeom: No! _

_ Bam Bam: ?? _

_ Yugyeom: I guess he insulted some guy last night and it turns out he’s an idol. _

_ Bam Bam: He what?! _

_ Yugyeom: Yeah, and now he’s suddenly talking about how he’s not opposed to dating. _

_ Bam Bam: You think he wants to hookup with this idol guy or whatever? _

_ Yugyeom: I don’t know. He just said that he seems nice and wants to get to know him better, _

_ Bam Bam: Riiight. Since when does Jinyoung want to get to know anyone beyond their dick? _

_ Yugyeom: Bammie! Please. _

_ Bam Bam: Ok. Ok. Sorry. So, what’s the problem? _

_ Yugyeom: I don’t know. It just seems weird. This guy doesn’t use real photos and then just claims to be an idol? _

_ What if he’s some kind of scammer or creep? _

_ Bam Bam: What do you mean doesn’t use real photos. _

_ Yugyeom: Jinyoung said he only has photos of his cats on his profile. Something about wanting to connect on a personal level, not physical. _

_ Bam Bam: Oh. _

_ He’s probably ugly. You right, it’s a scam. _

_ Yugyeom: You think? _

_ Bam Bam: I mean, he won’t show his face, but claims it’s because he’s an idol and wants to “connect on a personal level”. Really? Wow. Who just outright tells people that? _

_ Yugyeom: Ahhh. What if he really is a scammer. Should we tell Jinyoung? _

_ Bam Bam. No! No, wait. What app was this again? _

_ Yugyeom: Chu Date, why? _

_ Bam Bam: I have an idea. Can you get the guys username from Jinyoung? _

_ Yugyeom: I really don’t think he’s just gonna tell me. What are you scheming Bammie? _

_ Bam Bam: Nothing, just doing a little recon. _

_ Yugyeom: Well, it’s not like he’s gonna just give me the information. _

_ Bam Bam: Then steal his phone. _

_ Yugyeom: What? I can’t just steal his phone, Bam Bam. _

_ Bam Bam: Ok, how about this.. _

_ You know how we’re all supposed to hang out on Friday? _

_ Yugyeom: Yeah… _

_ Bam Bam: Let’s invite everyone. It’s been a while since we’ve hung out as a group and it’s the perfect chance to catch him off guard. _

_ Yugyeom: I dunno about this… _

_ Bam Bam: Oh, come on. You want to protect your hyung, right? _

_ Yugyeom: I.. Yes. _

_ Bam Bam: Then all you gotta do is invite them. I’ll handle the rest. _

_ Yugyeom: Ok. You think this will work? _

_ Bam Bam: It will. Trust me. _

_ Yugyeom: I do. _

_ Bam Bam: Then no problem. I gotta get back to work, though. This makeup noona is glaring at me. She’s scary! Love you. 😘 _

_ Yugyeom: Love you, too. _

\----------------------

_ You have been added to group chat: Party People by Double B _

_ Double B: Yo, yo. What’s happening? _

_ Moody Cat Dad: What the fuk? _

_ Mork: Who made this group chat? _

_ Double B: It’s your boy, Double B. _

_ Mork: Oh. Hey Bam Bam, what’s up? _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Why are we in a group chat called Party People? _

_ The Actual Sun: I was just about to ask the same thing. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: And why am I named Moody Cat Dad? _

_ Double B: Because you’re moody, duh. _

_ Mork: You kind of are. _

_ The Actual Sun: ^^ _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Wow, even Youngjae has turned against me. _

_ The Actual Sun: No one is against you, hyung. You’re just… more emotional than most people _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Not sure if I should be insulted or not by that statement. _

_ Mork: I don’t either, to be honest. _

_ Double B: ANY. _ _  
_ _ WAY. _ _  
_ _ I’m here to ask all of you a favor. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: I’m out. _

_ Double B: Hey! Wait. _

_ Mork: What is it, Bam Bam? _

_ Double B: Yugyeom and I decided that since it’s been so long since we all hung out… _

_ That we should get together for meat and karaoke on Friday. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: I’m busy. _

_ The Actual Sun: No you’re not. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Youngjae.. _

_ We finished recording today, but I still have meetings to attend. _

_ Double B: Until how late? _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Late. _

_ The Actual Sun: Probably until around 17:30. I have to attend a couple, but only the producers have to stay for the final meeting. _

_ Double B: Ok, then we can meet up at 18:00. _

_ Mork: I’m down. Is that Jackson guy gonna be there? _

_ Double B: The fitness guru? He should be. He’s one of Yugyeom’s roommates. _

_ Mork: Okay. I’m definitely in. _

_ The Actual Sun: Me too! It’s been a while since I’ve seen Yugyeom. _

_ What was his other roommate's name? _

_ Double B: Jinyoung. _

_ The Actual Sun: That’s right! Didn’t you two have a lot in common, Jaebeom-hyung? _

_ Moody Cat Dad: I guess so. We didn’t talk for long. _

_ Double B: Yeah, you’re a bitch when it comes to talking to cute boys. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: What? No I’m not. Who said I thought he was cute anyway? _

_ Mork: Oh come on. You definitely thought he was cute. _

_ The Actual Sun: Leave him alone guys, he’s moody. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Youngjae! _

_ Double B: So, is that yes from all of you? _

_ The Actual Sun: Yep! _

_ Mork: Yeah. _

_ Double B: Jaebeom-hyung? Oh Master of Felines? _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Oh ffs, fine. If it will get all of you to shut up. _

_ Double B: Alright! It’s a party. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: It’s not a party.  _

_ Mork: Everything Bam Bam is involved in is a party. _

_ The Actual Sun: See you on Friday! _

_ Moody Cat Dad: I hate all of you. _

_ Double B: We love you, too, dad. _

\----------------------

Now that Bam Bam had laid the trap on his end, it was Yugyeom’s turn to convince his friends to attend the outing with the others. He pulled up his group chat and hoped that his roommates would take the bait.

_ Cornchip: So Bam Bam decided to cancel our date on Friday in favor of a group hangout. _

_ Jinyoung: ?? _

_ Cornchip: He wants us, meaning, you.. and Jackson.. and his friends to come out for meat and karaoke. _

_ Jinyoung: You don’t seem thrilled by this idea. _

_ Cornchip: Well, it’s been a while since we had time to ourselves with how busy we’ve been. _

_ Jinyoung: You literally just spent the night at his place like.. two days ago. _

_ Cornchip: I know, but spending seven hours in bed and four of it sleeping isn’t a date.  _ 😕

_ Jinyoung: Suddenly I can’t see.. _

_ Muscled Freak: I have a talk at a fitness expo on Friday, what time were you thinking of meeting up? _

_ Jinyoung: Oh, there you are. _

_ Cornchip: Bam Bam wanted to meet up for dinner around 6 I think? Something about Jaebeom not being able to get out of meetings before that. _

_ Jinyoung: I have an article due on Saturday, but I suppose if I work on it diligently the next two days I can manage. _

_ Jackson? _

_ Muscled Freak: Unfortunately, I think I’ll have to miss dinner, but I can probably make it to karaoke. _

_ Cornchip: Aww, you really can’t miss the expo? _

_ Muscled Freak: No, sorry Gyeomie. This is a really important event and a good chance for me to expand my business. I’d be there if I could. _

_ Jinyoung: Look at you, center of attention. _

_ Muscled Freak: Jinyoung.. _

_ Jinyoung: Anyway, I gotta go so I can work on this article and make it on time for dinner Friday. Tell Bam Bam thanks for the invite. _

_ Cornchip: Ok! I will. Good luck on your article. _

_ Jinyoung:  _ ✌️

\----------------------

_ Wang Gae: What is your problem Jinyoung? _

_ Jinyoung: Hmm?? _

_ Wang Gae: First you start acting like an asshole to a total stranger and now you’re taking out some internal self loathing or some shit on me. _

_ Jinyoung: I’m what? _

_ Wang Gae: You heard me, Jinyoung. You really need to stop relying on your innate ability to be a douchebag to get through tough situations. _

_ Jinyoung: Douchebag? Jackson, what the hell? _

_ Why are you so mad? _

_ Wang Gae: Do you really not pay attention to the shit you say? _

_ You literally gave some guy on the internet shit for not wanting to show his face for fear of being judged, but here you are judging him for that. _

_ Not to mention, you just made some backhanded comment about me being the center of attention? _

_ What is that all about? _

_ Jinyoung: Well, it’s true. You are the center of attention. Yugyeom literally never asks you to do anything and you blow him off for one of your stupid events. _

_ Wang Gae: Stupid events? Jinyoung, this is my JOB. My livelihood. If I could just drop it all in a second to go sit around with my friends I would, but I CAN’T. You know that. _

_ And why are you so upset about me getting attention? Are you not getting enough yourself? I thought you were getting plenty of dick based on the number of times you’ve kicked us both out in the past month. _

_ Jinyoung: Jackson, I.. I really don’t have time for this. _

_  
_ _ Wang Gae: You don’t have time for this? For what? To talk to your best friend about what in the hell is wrong with you? _

_ Jinyoung: I have to finish this article so I can go to this thing with Yugyeom since some of us are too busy being paraded around by brands to spend time with their friends. _

_ Wang Gae: Jinyoung.. _

_ Read _

  
  


\----------------------

_ Yugyeom: Operation snatch Jinyoung’s phone is a go. _

_ Jackson-hyung can’t make it until later, but he’ll be there. _

_ Bam Bam: Aww. I think Mark-hyung was interested in seeing him again. _

_ Yugyeom: Oh?? _

_ Bam Bam: Yeah. He asked if he was gonna be there. _

_ Yugyeom: Inch resting. _

_ Jinyoung-hyung has an article due, but he said he’ll work extra hard on getting it done in time. _

_ Bam Bam: Speaking of him… It seems like Jaebeom-hyung was interested in him or something. _

_ Yugyeom: He what?! _

_ Bam Bam: Yeah, I dunno. Mark and Youngjae were teasing him about having stuff in common with him and how he was too awkward to properly flirt. _

_ Yugyeom: Why didn’t you mention all of this when we talked earlier? _

_ Bam Bam: I didn’t think it was important since we were planning on seeing what was up with this mystery man Jinyoung is talking to online. _

_ Yugyeom: Ok, but isn’t Jaebeom the one with the great singing voice that Jinyoung couldn’t stop staring at the last time we all went out? _

_ Bam Bam: Yeah, what about it? _

_ Wait.. _

_ Yugyeom: What? _

_ Bam Bam: I’ll be right back… _

_ Yugyeom: Bammie? _

\----------------------

_ Bam Bam: Jaebeom-hyung.. _

_ Jaebeom: What do you want Bam Bam? _

_ Bam Bam: You don’t happen to be using a dating app lately do you? _

_ Jaebeom: What? Did Mark tell you that? _

_ Bam Bam: Wait, so you are? _

_ Jaebeom: That’s none of your business. _

_ Bam Bam: I’ll take that as a yes. _

_ Have you met anyone interesting lately? _

_ Jaebeom: What? _

_ Bam Bam: Just curious. I mean, you spend most of your time with your cats. It’s about time you get out there. _

_ Jaebeom: You know it isn’t that simple Bam. _

_ Bam Bam: Yeah. Yeah, but have you? _

_ Jaebeom: Have I what? _

_ Bam Bam: Met anyone interesting? _

_ Jaebeom: Definitely interesting… _

_ Bam Bam: So you ARE talking to someone then? _

_ Jaebeom: We talked like ONE time and he insulted Nora. _

_ But then he apologized and he didn’t seem so bad. _

_ Bam Bam: What was this guys username? _

_ Jaebeom: Why are you so interested in this? _

_ Bam Bam: Can I not show interest in my hyung’s life? Can I not want to see you as happy and in love as Yugyeom and I are? _

_ Jaebeom: No. _

_ Bam Bam: Eye- _

_ Fine. I’ll leave you alone, for now… _

\----------------------

_ Bam Bam: I think…. _

_ That Jinyoung’s mystery man might be Jaebeom-hyung. _

_ Yugyeom: You what?? _

_ Bam Bam: Didn’t you say Jinyoung insulted the guy for using pictures of his cat? _

_ Yugyeom: Yeah… Why? _

_ Bam Bam: *Screenshot of chat with Jaebeom* _

_ Yugyeom: OMG. You think? _

_ Bam Bam: I think that Friday just got a lot more interesting.. _

_ Yugyome: I can’t believe it.. I guess we’ll find out for sure soon. _

\----------------------

_ Babypeach4u: So, your cats name is Nora? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. Why? _

_ Babypeach4u: Just wondering. She’s pretty. Do you have any other pets? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. I have a few other cats, but Nora is my baby. _

_ Babypeach4u: A few? _

_ Norasdad16: Four… _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh. You must really like cats. _

_ Norasdad16: What’s not to love? They’re so soft and fluffy and lovable. _

_ Do you not like them? _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh! No. I like them. I just can’t imagine how much work 5 of them could be. _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy here some days. Do you have any pets? _

_ Babypeach4u: Pets? No. Unless you count the giant beanstalk that lives in the room next to mine. _

_ Norasdad16: Beanstalk? _

_ Babypeach4u: Yeah. My roommate. Well, one of them. He’s a brat and really tall. _

_ Norasdad16: Oh. I see. How many people do you live with? _

_ Babypeach4u: Two. The beanstalk and the freak. _

_ Norasdad16: Wow. If that’s how you talk about your friends I’d hate to be your enemy. _

_ Babypeach4u: You can’t tell me that you don’t make fun of your friends, too.  _

_ We all tease each other. Trust me, I get it worse. Apparently, I’m boring. _

_ Norasdad16: Boring? You? How so? _

_ Babypeach4u: I typically prefer the company of books over people. Apparently, that’s far too nerdy for them.. _

_ Norasdad16: Is that why you ask for dick pics on the internet? Because you don’t want to interact with people in person? _

_ Babypeach4u: No. Well, I mean.. Who wants to spend their entire date browsing book stores? _

_ Norasdad16: I would. _

_ Babypeach4u: What? You would? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. I love to read. I find books fascinating. You can find all kinds of new worlds and creatures in them. Sometimes they can be really informative, too. _

_ Babypeach4u: You like to escape reality a lot? _

_ Norasdad16: Well, my job is pretty demanding, so it’s nice to curl up with a good book and forget about how hectic life is sometimes. _

_ Babypeach4u: Ah. I can understand that. What kind of books do you like to read? _

_ Norasdad16: Fiction mostly. Usually something with a deep meaning behind it, though. Once in a while a good non-fiction book will cross my path and I’ll pick it up. _

_ Babypeach4u: I like fiction, too. Fantasy is a favorite of mine. I like seeing how someone’s mind can create something completely new or bend an already existing idea into something of their own. _

_ Norasdad16: Mmmmm. _

_ Babypeach4u: ?? _

_ Norasdad16: You might not be as horrible as you first appeared to be. _

_ Babypeach4u: Ouch. I guess I deserved that. _

_ Norasdad16: Mhmmm. _

_ Babypeach4u: Hey. You weren’t exactly friendly either. _

_ Norasdad16: Of course I wasn’t. You came at me immediately having an issue with my photos.. _

_ Babypeach4u: It wasn’t that I had an issue. It was just.. _

_ Norasdad16: Just?? _

_ Babypeach4u: Weird? IDK. I’m not used to meeting people with substance on this app. I guess I didn’t expect you to have any depth. _

_ Norasdad16: Oh? And you think I have “depth” now after one conversation? _

_ Babypeach4u: Anyone that enjoys books has to have some layers to their personality. _

_ Norasdad16: Fair point _

_ It’s getting late, though, and I have an early morning. _

_ Babypeach4u: Ah, so it is. Goodnight then? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah, Goodnight.. Babypeach. _

_ Babypeach4u: Goodnight Norasdad. _

\----------------------

_ Bam Bam: Hey dad? _

_ Jaebeom: Stop calling me that. I’m not even that much older than you. _

_ Bam Bam: Yeah yeah. Whatever happened with that dating app dude? _

_ Jaebeom: Why are you so interested in that? _

_ Bam Bam: It’s just been awhile since you dated anyone. I just want you to be happy. _

_ Jaebeom: I’m fine, Bam Bam. _

_ Bam Bam: I know you’re “fine”. I said “happy” hyung. _

_ Jaebeom: Don’t worry about it. _

_ Bam Bam: I just wanna support you! I want you to find love! To be happy! To get married and have lots of cat babies! _

_ Jaebeom: Why are you so dramatic? _

_ Bam Bam: I’m enthusiastic, not dramatic. _

_ Jaebeom: If you say so. _

_ Bam Bam: You know you love me.  _

_ Hey! I know you saw that. Don’t leave me on read, hyung. _

_ Dad? Stop ignoring me! We’re coming over. You can’t ignore me then. _

  
  


\----------------------

  
  


_ Babypeach4u: Hello! _

_ Norasdad16: Oh, hey. _

_ Babypeach4u:  _ _ ☺️☺️ _

_Norasdad16:_ _What are you so happy about?_

_ Babypeach4u: I finished my book review and the editor said it was really good. _

_ Norasdad16: Oh? That’s good. What book did you review? _

_ Babypeach4u: Call Me By Your Name. They were skeptical at first, due to the subject matter… _

_ But! The editor said I did a good job explaining the story without giving away too much and making it seem “lewd” as they put it. _

_ Norasdad16: I don’t think I’ve heard of that book. Why would it be conveyed be lewd? _

_ Babypeach4u: It’s about a 17 year old boy and an older foreign man entering into a relationship.. Some people aren’t going to be okay with that. _

_ Norasdad16: That makes more sense now why they might have been iffy about it. Korea still isn’t exactly… _

_ Babypeach4u: Yeah. I was kind of scared when I submitted the book for my review choice, but the editor said she trusted my judgement and writing skills. She said that she didn’t make a mistake in allowing me to proceed. I just hope that the readers agree... _

_ Norasdad16: I’m glad you didn’t back down and did what you were passionate about. It’s really admirable. _

_ Babypeach4u: Thank you. How was your day? _

_ Norasdad16: Eh.. Not quite as great as yours, but it was alright. _

_ Babypeach4u: Why? Did something happen? _

_ Norasdad16: Nothing too out of the ordinary. Just an overall mess, I suppose. _

_ Babypeach4u: Wanna talk about it? _

_ Norasdad16: Well, it started off like this.. _

_ *Image of Nora on the counter attached* _

_ She wouldn’t move when I was trying to cook breakfast, so it was a little difficult eating this morning. _

_ Babypeach4u: Is that Nora? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. She’s difficult.. Sometimes. _

_ Babypeach4u: She’s really pretty, _

_ Norasdad16: Thank you. _

_ Babypeach4u: You’re welcome. _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah, after that I realized that I had a flat tire so I had to call a car and was late to work. Then I spilled coffee on myself. Then another producer at the company I’ve been working with told me that the track I’ve been working so hard on sucks and sounds too “western.” I mean, he’s definitely got more experience than I do, but it’s MY company? _

_ Babypeach4u: Wow. That is kind of rude, isn’t it? To tell you that your own work at your own company doesn’t suit his taste? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah, that’s what I thought. I get that some people have a specific sound that they cater to, but this is MY company. MY work. It’s just frustrating sometimes… _

_ Babypeach4u: I’m sorry that you had a bad day. Anything I can do to help? _

_ Norasdad16: Hmmm. No, I think just venting helped. Thank you for listening. _

_ Babypeach4u: You’re welcome. I’m always here if you need someone to talk to. _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah, same to you. _

_ Babypeach4u:  _ _ ☺️ _

_ Norasdad16: Ugh. My friends just burst through the door without any warning. I gotta go see what the hell they want. _

_ Babypeach4u: Ok. Hopefully, they can brighten your mood some. Have a good night! _

_ Norasdad16: Thanks. You, too. _

\----------------------

_ Mark: What was that tweet about?  _

_ Jaebeom… _

_ Jaebeom: What tweet? _

_ Mark: Wow. Now you respond. It’s been almost 30 minutes. The one about “Maybe there’s more to you than seemed to be at first glance…” THAT tweet. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jaebeom: Oh.. that um.. _

_ Mark: Are you talking to him? _

_ Jaebeom: Maybe. _

_ Mark: Maybe?? _

_ Jaebeom: Ok.. Yes. _

_ Mark: Oh? Annnnnddd.. What was that about then? _

_ Jaebeom: Ah. He’s actually pretty interesting, I guess? _

_ Mark: You guess? _

_ Jaebeom:  _ 🤷

_ Mark: What’s interesting about him? _

_ Jaebeom: He really likes to read. He said he writes book reviews. _

_ Mark: Really? That’s surprising, considering the way he seemed only interested in getting laid. _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah. I was kind of surprised myself. HE said that he was worried about his most recent book review because it was controversial, but his editor praised him. He seemed really happy. _

_ Mark: That’s good. So you talked about his work today? _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah, and mine. _

_ Mark: Jaebeom.. _

_ Jaebeom: What? I didn’t tell him anything specific! Just about my day overall and about Jinyoung-hyung… _

_ Mark: Oh god, what did he say this time? _

_ Jaebeom: Just that my music was “too western”. _

_ Mark: “Too western?” What the fuck does that even mean? _

_ I get that he thinks he knows best and you respect his opinions because his own company is doing well, but that doesn’t mean he has the right to tell you how to make music in yours. He’s stuck in the 80s Jaebeom. I mean, the man wore a damn plastic suit to his last performance. Can you really take anything he says about what’s trendy seriously after that? _

_ Jaebeom: Oh god, I tried to erase that image from my mind. Thanks Mark. _

_ Mark: If I have to remember, you have to remember. _

_ Jaebeom: Please forget. _

_ Mark: Anyway, you’re too hard on yourself Jaebeom. You didn’t start your own company and grow a fanbase all by yourself because you’re not talented. _

_ Jaebeom: I know. _

_ Mark: Yeah, you know. Well, stop forgetting that you know. _

_ But what did that peach guy have to say about it? _

_ Jaebeom: Just that he thought it seemed rude for someone not involved in my company to tell me how I should sound and he’s sorry to hear that my day was shit. _

_ Mark: Wow… He might be smart after all. _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah, he might be.. _

_ Bam Bam and Yugyeom plowed through my door shortly before I saw your text and I’m pretty sure that they’re going to make out on every available surface of my apartment if I don’t pay attention to them, so I should probably go prevent that from happening. _

_ Mark: Gross. Have fun. Don’t kill them. _

_ Jaebeom: I’ll try not to. Later. _

_ Mark: Peace. _

\----------------------

_ Wang Gae: What’s going on with you the last couple of days? _

_ Jinyoung: What do you mean? _

_ Wang Gae: I mean.. You’ve been a complete asshoel and then you suddenly post on Twitter about something being hard for someone? Is it something with work? Did something happen with Yugyeom? _

_ Jinyoung: What? No, it’s just- _

_ Wang Gae: What is it, Jinyoung? You know you used to be so open with me, but lately you’re really just kind of a dick. You’re my best friend. I don’t like you keeping things from me. _

_ Jinyoung: Jackson, calm down. Nothing is going on. I’ve just been talking to that guy from the dating app a bit and seems like he’s having a hard time. _

_ Wang Gae: Oh. Wait. You’re talking to him? Like, having actual conversations and not just trying to make a dick appointment? _

_ Jinyoung; Wow. Who’s the asshole now? Yes, Jackson. Real conversations. He’s actually a nice guy, I think… _

_ Wang Gae: Have you asked for a photo yet? _

_ Jinyoung: No, not yet. I don’t think I should pressure him. He seems kind of insecure. _

_ Wang Gae: Whoa! You’re interested in this guy just after a couple of conversations AND you don’t even know what he looks like? _

_ Jinyoung: Can you at least try to not sound so condescending? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Wang Gae: You haven’t dated anyone seriously in a long time ‘Nyoungie. Sometimes we forget that you have a heart, too. _

_ Jinyoung: Eye- I have a heart. I just.. I just haven’t found the right person to share it with. _

_ Wang Gae: Yeah, I know. I’m just giving you shit. You’re one of the most loving people I know, given the right circumstances. _

_ Jinyoung: Yeah.. _

_ Wang Gae: So, how is he then? What’s he like? _

_ Jinyoung: He seems to really love his work, but runs into a lot of obstacles. _

_ Wang Gae: Obstacles? _

_ Jinyoung: Yeah. I guess that even though he owns his own company he still has producers from other companies that he works with. It sounds like they don’t always see eye to eye and he feels like they’re just belittling him sometimes. _

_ Wang Gae: That happens in the business world _

_ Jinyoung: Yeah, I know. I just can relate, ya know? Like when I first started doing my reviews and people said they weren’t interesting enough. Do you know how much that hurt? _

_ Wang Gae: Yeah, I remember. You cried a lot in the beginning, but now look at you. I heard from Yugyeom that your editor really loved your new piece. _

_ Jinyoung: Yeah, she did. _

_ Wang Gae: See, that’s great! Maybe he just needs someone to help him focus on himself instead of letting other people drown his creativity. You’d be great for that. _

_ Jinyoung: You think so? _

_ Wang Gae: Of course I do, Jinyoung. You’re a great cheerleader. _

_ Jinyoung: Thanks. So are you. I don’t think I would have made it this far without you.. _

_ Wang Gae: I’ll always have your back. If you don’t make it as a book reviewer you can always come work for me.  _

_ Jinyoung: I appreciate that, but I don’t think that gym equipment and meal plans are exactly my style. _

_ Wang Gae: I’m just offering. _

_ Jinyoung: I know. Thanks, Jackson. When will you be home, btw? _

_ Wang Gae: I just finished up with my workout, so not too much longer. I stopped to message you before jumping in the shower here. Once I’m done I’ll head home. _

_ Jinyoung: Sounds great. Take your shower and we’ll talk when you get back. _

_ Wang Gae: Alright, see you then. _

\----------------------

_ Norasdad16: Sorry for bailing on you like that. I love them, but they are so exhausting. _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh. It’s ok. Trust me. My roommates are the same. Love them, but they drive me crazy. At least you don’t have to live with them. Haha. _

_ Norasdad16: That’s true. I’m glad for that. I think they would make me more crazy than they already do. They’re good kids, but far too energetic for it being one in the morning. _

_ Babypeach4u: My one roommate is like that. He’ll come home at all hours of the night hopped up on energy drinks. _

_ Norasdad16: That sounds.. Annoying. _

_ Babypeach4u: Trust me, when you have a book review due at 7am and you’re trying to finish up, but he’s talking nonstop at the speed of light. I want to hit him. _

_ Nordasdad16: Hahaha. Yeah, I can relate. My friends are like that, too. They’d probably get along with your roommate. _

_ Babypeach4u: Sounds like it. _

_ Norasdad16: Maybe we should all hang out some time. _

_ Babypeach4u: Are you sure you should be meeting random men on the internet just days after speaking to them with your high profile? _

_ Norasdad16: Oh yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Silly me.  _ _  
_ _ Forget about it. _

_ Babypeach4i: I didn’t mean anything by that… Just from what you said I think you should be careful of who you’re meeting up with. Not that I would hurt you or expose you or anything. I just don’t have time right now with my other roommates events coming up that I have to help with and- _

_ Norasdad16: No. It’s OK. I get it. You’re right.  _

_ Anyway, I just wanted to tell you sorry for disappearing like that earlier, but I have to go to bed now. _

_ Babypeach4u: Alright. Sleep well. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: You too. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: Talk to you later? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. Later. _

\----------------------

  
  


_ Bam Bam: Where are you guys?! We’ve been waiting in the cold for like ever. _

_ LOML: It’s been like ten minutes and we’ve been inside the entire time. _

_ Moody Cat Dad: Stop being dramatic, Bam. We’re right around the coroner. _

_ Bam Bam: Hurry upppp. Jinyuoung and Youngjae are already here. Why are you and Mark always so slow? _

_ Mork: He couldn’t decide what shirt to wear. I swear he only owns like 2, though. _

_ Bam Bam: Why would he be concerned about his outfit? Expecting to see someone special??? _

_ Moody Cat Dad: No. I just happen to want to look nice when I’m in public. We’re outside. See you in a few. _

_ The Actual Sun: Ok. _

_ LOML: Ok, see you soon. _

\----------------------

_ Jinyoung: When are you coming? Everyone else is here now. _

_ Jackson: I’ll be there in a little under an hour. Just stuck talking with these CEOs from companies looking to merge… _

_ Jinyoung: Why are you texting me then? Isn’t that pretty important? _

_ Jackson: Yeah. Told them I had to take a piss and excused myself. I really did have to take a piss, though. _

_ Jinyoung: OMG. Ok, well, see you when you get here. _

_ Jackson: Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. _

\----------------------

ONE HOUR LATER

_ Norasdad16: Your roommate wouldn’t happen to be Yugyeom would it? _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh. You’re talking to me now, but yeah he is. Why? _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah, sorry. Things were just busy this week. I think we might be in the same place right now. _

_ Babypeach4u: What? Why would you think that? _

_ Norasdad16: Are you hanging out with your friends at the BBQ place near the karaoke box in Gangnam? You just walked in. didn’t you? _

Jinyoung looked up from his phone, brows furrowed and lips pursed. Did he read that right? He looked back down at his phone, re-reading the last message he received before looking back at the group of men he was seated with as panic started to course it’s way through his veins. 

His eyes fell on Jaebeom, sitting directly across from him and he noticed the way that he was looking past Jinyoung and not at him. He turned to glance over his shoulder, a sharp intake of breath cutting into his lungs as he stood abruptly, almost taking the small table they were seated around with him.

“Jingyoung? Everything alright?”

Jaebeom was looking at him now, genuine concern etched in his features.

“Yeah. Fine, I just.. I have to go to the bathroom.”

Jinyoung spluttered the first thing that came to mind. 

“Come with me, Jackson.”

He grabbed the other man’s arm as he approached the group, dragging him away from the table and deeper into the restaurant.

“I’m pretty sure you can go to the bathroom by yourself.” 

Jackson grumbled, but he followed along after pulling his arm free of Jinyoung’s iron grip.

“What is this all about?”

He asked once they reached the restroom, Jinyoung flinging himself against the countertop, and stumbling to find the words to explain the situation to Jackson.

“He’s here.”

“Who’s here?”

“HIM. The cat guy.”

“Like here in the restaurant? How do you know? You’ve never even seen what he looks like.”

“Becauseeeee...”

Jinyoung whined.

“He’s friends with Bam Bam.”

“He’s what?! You mean the guy you’ve been talking to on that dating app. The cat guy. That you insulted, but are somehow getting along with now is sitting out there. Right now. At the table you stopped me from approaching. With our friends. And you’re in here. With me. Complaining about it?”

Jackson was confused.

“Yes.”

“Who is it? Wait, it isn’t the cute American boy, is it?”

Jackson furrowed his brows.

“No. It’s not.. It’s not Mark. It’s the broody looking one with the eye moles that lights up the whole room when he smiles.”

“Jaebeom?”

“Yeah. I think that’s his name.”

“Ok so what’s the problem, then? It should be easier to talk to him now that you know that you… actually know him.”

Jinyoung let out an exasperated whine, slumping further against the countertop.

“He thinks I’m you.”

“He what?”

“He thinks I’m you, Jackson.”

Jackson was even further confused.

“Why would he think you’re me?”

“Well, remember when I said he insulted my picture first?”

“What does that have to do with- Jinyoung…”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly an insult it was more like.. ‘Well why do you only have shirtless photos.’”

Jackson pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long breath he hadn’t known he was holding and closed his eyes, trying to center himself before hitting Jinyoung with all of his strength. He had done some stupid shit, but this one took the cake.

“So let me get this straight…. You downloaded this dating app and when you _ finally find someone who actually isn’t  _ a douchebag just looking to get laid, it just so happens to be the guy you’ve been pining over for the last nine months, but have been too big of a bitch to contact? Is that correct so far?”

Jinyoung nodded solemnly.

“ _ And  _ you used my photos to catfish him, so he thinks that he’s been talking to me all this time. Now he’s sitting out there waiting for me to come and talk to him like I should know what in the hell he’s talking about, but I won’t because he’s actually been talking to you?”

Another nod.

“Jinyoung. What the fuck?”

“I knowwww. I fucked up. I’m sorry, but you have to talk to him like it was you. Please. _ Please? _ ”

“Why? Tell me why I should get involved in this mess?”

“Because you owe me.”

Jackson grit his teeth, eyes closing and sucking in an uneven breath.

Jinyoung was right. He did owe him. Big time. It was Jinyoung that helped him get his first small modeling job that launched his career as a brand ambassador when he was too scared to even submit a photo to a company. If it hadn’t been for him sneaking candid shots of the elder man and sending in a brief letter with the photos to a brand looking for someone to be the face of their newest line Jackson wouldn’t be where he was today.

“Fine, but consider the debt repaid.”

Jackson snapped, rolling his eyes and pushing past Jinyoung to slam his way angrily into the back stall.

“What are you doing?”

“What you’re supposed to do in the bathroom. Taking a shit.”

Jinyoung rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh and he turned to look at himself in the mirror. He still looked just as cute as he had when he had walked in, hair still perfectly styled and kohl smudged against the corners of his eyes. He hadn’t made a mistake in letting Yugeom help with his styling. He groaned and washed his hands quickly, drying them with a paper towel before heading back towards the table where their friends were waiting. 

\----------------------

_ Jaebeom: MARK. HE’S HERE WHAT DO I DO? _

_ Mark: What? Who’s here? _

_ Jaebeom: THE PEACH GUY. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Mark: WHAT? WHERE? _

_ Jaebeom: HE JUST WENT TO THE BATHROOM. _

_ Mark: FROM ANOTHER TABLE? HOW DO YOU KNOW? AND WHY ARE WE TALKING IN ALL CAPS? _

_ Jaebeom: NO. FROM OURS. HE’S HERE. WITH US. _

_ Mark: Wait.. You mean Jinyoung? _

_ Jaebeom: No. The guy he dragged to the bathroom with him. _

_ Mark: Jackson? You’ve been talking to Jackson? _

_ Jaebeom: YES. _

_ Mark: Oh.. _

_ I didn’t know he wrote book reviews. I thought he owned a gym or something. _

_ Jaebeom: Maybe there’s more to him than that. But how am I supposed to act? _

_ Mark: Does he know you’re here? _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah. I think so. I ask him if Yugyeom was his roommate and if he was here. Then Jinyoung grabbed him as soon as he walked over. _

_ Mark: I see. Well, did he reply? _

_ Jaebeom: He said yeah, Yugyeom is his roommate, but Mark. I’d know that face anywhere. It’s definitely him. _

_ Mark? _

_ Are you okay? You went really quiet.. _

_ Mark: Huh: Oh, nah. I’m fine. Alcohol just hit me weird there for a minute. But hey, at least you found your mystery guy. _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah. Should I talk to him? Like tell him it’s me? _

_ Mark: Is that what you want? _

_ Jaebeom: Wel.. he was kind of weird about meeting me. I told you about it last night. _

_ Mark: Oh yeah. That’s true, but he already knows you’re here so- _

_ Jaebeom: Shit. You’re right. I guess I’ll just have to try and act normal. _

_ Mark: Good idea. Jinyoung is coming back, though. Looks like without Jackson. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jaebeom: Maybe he had to shit? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Mark: Maybe.. _

\----------------------

_ Norasdad16: You didn’t fall in did you? _

_ Babypeach4u: What? No. I just had to use the restroom. _

_ Norasdad16: That’s good. I was hoping we could talk some more. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: I thought you were mad at me. _

_ Norasdad16: I was upset, but you were right. _

_ Babypeach4u: I’m still sorry, though. _

_ Norasdad16: It’s ok. I do have to be careful. _

_ Babypeach4u: That must be hard. _

_ Norasdad16: It can be.. But Oh! I see you made it out. Maybe we should just talk normally instead of on the app for now. _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh, yeah. Sure. _

\----------------------

_ Yugyeom: Why is Jaebeom suddenly talking to Jackson like he knows him? _

_ Bam Bam: I don’t know. Maybe because he’s a musician. They know everyone. _

_ Yugyeom: No, I mean. Listen to the conversation they’re having. Jaebeom keeps asking him about books. _

_ Bam Bam: Jaebeom likes books. That’s nothing new. _

_ Yugyeom: BUT IT’S JACKSON. HE DOESN’T READ ANYTHING EXCEPT NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION ON BOXES OF ORGANIC CORN STARCH. _

_ Bam Bam: You’re right. That is weird. _

_ Wasn’t he talking to JInyoung about the same stuff? _

_ OMG. He thinks Jinyoung is Jackson on the app, doesn’t he?? _

_ Yugyeom: Dunno. _

_ Bam Bam: Doesn’t Jinyoung have his picture on the app? _

_ Yugyeom: I have no idea. Jaebeom has cats. Who knows what Jinyoung has. _

_ Bam Bam: We going detective. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Yugyeom: Bam… _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Bam Bam: *zoom* _

\----------------------

_ Bam Bam: Hey hyung? _

_ Jinyoung: What do you want that you can’t ask me out loud, Bam Bam? _

_ Bam Bam: How’s that dating app going? _

_ Jinyoung: The usual, why? _

_ Bam Bam: So, getting lots of dick? _

_ Jinyoung: Of course. _

_  
_ _ Bam Bam: Then why do you look so forlorn watching Jackson talk to Jaebeom? _

_ Jinyoung: What? I do not look “forlorn”. _

_ Bam Bam: I dunno. You seem kind of upset that Jaebeom seems to have some sort of connection with Jackson that you’d expect to be with you, hyung. _

_ Jinyoung: I’m not upset. _

_ Bam Bam: Just saying it’s kind of weird that he’s talking to Jackson about YOUR book review. _

_ Jinyoung: ………. _

_ Bam Bam: Why does Jaebeom think he’s talking to Jackson on that app when it’s you? _

_ Jinyoung: You don’t know that. _

_ Bam Bam: Oh, come on Jinyoung. Book reviews? Seriously? That’s not Jackson and that’s why you dragged him out of here as soon as he arrived. What’s going on? _

_ Jinyoung: Nothing is going on. _

_ Bam Bam: Did you tell Jaebeom that you’re Jackson? _

_ Jinyoung: What? No. I didn’t tell him I was anyone. That was his own misunderstanding. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Bam Bam: How? He seemed to think it was Jackson the moment he saw him, even though he spent the last hour eating up every word you said. Seems like a weird switch. _

_ Jinyoung: I don’t know Bam Bam. _

_ Bam Bam: He only saw him for a minute and… OMFG. YOU DIDN’T. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jinyoung: Didn’t what? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Bam Bam: Did you CATFISH Jaebeom-hyung? _

_ Jinyoung: I didn’t CATFISH him. _

_ Bam Bam: Then how do you explain him thinking Jackson is you when he only saw him for a minute? _

_ Jinyoung: Ok, I MAY have used a photo or two that.. .wasn’t myself. _

_ Bam Bam: OMG. You really used Jackson’s photos and catfished Jaebeom without knowing who he was? Eye- Are you gonna tell him? _

_ Jinyoung: Eventually. _

_ Bam Bam: EvEnTuAlLy. You have to tell him. _

_ Jinyoung: I will. Just not right now. _

_ Bam Bam: Do you like him? _

_ Jinyoung: What? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Bam Bam: Do. You. Like. Jaebeom-hyung? _

_ Jinyoung: I don’t know. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Bam Bam: Well, you’re gonna not find out if he keeps flirting with Jackson. Seriously, this is painful to watch. You look so miserabl;e. So does Mark now that I’m looking at him. IT’S A PARTY. STOP BEING SO MOODY. _

_ Jinyoung: It’s not a party. _

_ Bam Bam: SAYS YOU. DRINK UP AND STOP BEING A BITCH. TELL JAEBEOM YOU LIKE HIM. _

_ Or I’ll tell him for you. _

_ Jinyoung: I swear to God Bam Bam if you ever want to see your boyfriend again after tonight you will keep your mouth shut. I will handle Jaebeom. _

_ Bam Bam: Scary… _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jinyoung: Good, now pass me the kimchi. _

\----------------------

_ Bam Bam: OK. SO. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Yugyeom: ?? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Bam Bam: It appears. _ _  
_ _ That Jinyoung used photos of Jackson on his profile. _

_ That’s why Jaebeom thinks Jackson is the person he was talking to. _

_ Yugyeom: He what?! _

_ Bam Bam: I know right? WTF? _

_ Yugyeom: Is he gonna tell him? _

_ Bam Bam: He said he’ll tell him eventually. _

_ Yugyeom: Why not now? _

_ Bam Bam: I dunno, but we have to stay quiet or he’ll kill you. _

_ Yugyeom: What? Why me? _

_ Bam Bam: That’s what he said. Not me. So I guess let’s just see what happens. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Yugyeom: Ok. I’m too young to be murdered. ;___; _

\----------------------

_ Cornchip: Annnndd safe! _

_ Muscled Freak: Thanks for checking in Yugyeom. _

_ Cornchip: No problemmmmmmm. _

_ Jinyoung: God, how did you even get back to Bam Bam place? You’re both trashed. _

_ Cornchip: Mark-hyung was nice enough to drive us. Good thing he didn’t drink too much. Jaebeom-hyun was soooooooo drunk, too. Hahahaha. _

_ Jinyoung: Yeah. _

_ Cornchip: Hahahahaha as haha. Ok I should go. Bam Bam wants this diiiiiiiiiiiicccccccck. _

_ Jinyoung: Oh my god. Did not need to know that. _

_ Muscled Freak: Neither did I, but I’m glad you got home safely. Sleep well. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jinyoung: Ugh. Goodnight. I’m going to sleep, too. _

\----------------------

_ Norasdad16: Thanks for tonight. _

_ Babypeach4u: Yeah, it was fun. _

_ Norasdad16: It was! We should do it again some time. _

_ Babypeach4u: Yeah. _

_ Norasdad16: Less people, though. _

_ Babypeach4u: What do you mean? _

_ Norasdad16: Like just us. It was kind of loud. Hard to talk. _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh, Yeah, sure. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: I’m happy I got to merry you. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: What? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: Meet you! Sorry kinda drunk… _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: I see that. You’re still a really good singer, too. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: Oh. Thank you. I kinda do it for a living you know… Hahahahaha. I hope I’m goid at it. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: You are. Very good. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: Thanks you :) _

_ Babypeach4u: You should get some sleep. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: Yeah. I should. You too. Goodnight Jackson.  _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: Goodnight Jaebeom. _

\----------------------

Jinyoung groaned and tossed his phone to the side, scowling when it bounced off of the mattress and on to the floor. He could see the dim light of the screen glaring up at him from the space between the wall and his bed frame, taunting him as if he had done something horrible. Perhaps he had. He had lied to someone. Not just someone, Jaebeom. 

The man he had been enamored with since the day they had first met. The man that he had been entirely too afraid to pursue because Jinyoung didn’t pursue people he was interested in. He pursued men he could use and leave when he felt like it. It didn’t leave him vulnerable. Jaebeom was someone Jinyoung had tried to forget about, but always lingered at the edges of his mind as if daring him to ask Yugyeom how he was doing and if he was seeing anyone yet. 

He never did. 

He sighed heavily and rolled onto his side, shoving one arm between the wall and the bedframe to fish his phone off the floor. He stared at the still open message, contemplating saying something further, but opting to blacken the screen without another thought. He placed it on the charger, noting the low battery icon in the corner before swinging his feet over the edge of the bed and padding into the kitchen. 

He needed another drink.

After several minutes and a headache later, Jinyoung sank onto the couch to stare at the black screen of the television set. He let his head fall back against the cushions, eyes closing as the cold lip of the bottle pressed against his own, and he took a swig of the bitter liquid. He hadn’t noticed the footsteps that approached him, lost in his own world, but startled out of it when a voice cut through his own that still shouted in his mind.

“Hey.”

Jinyoung blinked his eyes open, dark orbs staring up into an equally dark gaze. 

Jackson.

“Hey.”   
  
Jinyoung croaked, knowing this conversation was coming sooner or later, but preferring it to be later. He let his chin drop, his eyes falling back on the blank screen as Jackson made his way around the couch to take a seat next to him. He felt Jackson shift beside him, his best friend not usually one to tiptoe around things he felt strongly about. 

“So..”   
  
Jackson started.

“So..?”

Jinyoung repeated, still not looking at Jackson.

A sigh.

“You know you can’t avoid this forever.”

Jackson started again, this time with no intention of waiting for Jinyoung to follow along.

“You can’t just let Jaebeom go on believing that he's talking to me and not you. He’s not stupid. He’ll figure it out eventually even if you don’t tell him. He’s gonna be even more mad if he finds out later.”

“I know.”

Jinyoung did know. 

He knew all too well that Jaebeom had a temper, but was also a romantic that wanted something real. Jinyoung had started off giving him something that wasn’t and he knew that he needed to fix things, but he wasn’t sure how. It was easier to lie. To pretend to be someone he wasn’t instead of a boring book nerd. Despite how much Jaebeom didn’t seem to  _ mind _ him being a boring book nerd he still felt somehow inadequate next to the producer. 

Jackson, however. Jackson owned his own company, his own brand. He had that in common with Jaebeom. They were on equal ground, much unlike Jaebeom and himself. He didn’t like the empty feeling it left in the pit of his stomach every time he thought about Jaebeom introducing him to one of his producer buddies as his “book reviewer” boyfriend. It just felt.. bland.   
  
He took another drink of his beer, his head finally turning to meet Jackson’s gaze. He could tell that the other man was concerned. Not only for Jinyoung’s well being, but for the other parties involved. Jackson was a caring man and he looked out for others. That’s why Jinyoung loved him and considered him his best friend. 

“Then you need to stop this now.”

Jackson’s hand was warm on Jinyoung’s shoulder, his grasp gentle, but firm. His gaze was soft, yet commanding. He waited until Jinyoung nodded, albeit somewhat solemnly before patting him on the back, and standing to take his leave. It had been a long day and he was tired. He left Jinyoung to nurse his beer and figure out just how he was going to tell Jaebeom the truth.

\----------------------

_ Jackson: It was nice seeing you again. _

_ Mark: Yeah. It’s been a while since we all hung out. It was fun. _

_ Jackson: We should hang out again sometime. Soon. _

_ Mark: That might be hard with everyone’s schedules, but I’m sure we can figure something out. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jackson: It doesn’t have to be everyone… _

_ Mark: Oh, yeah. Right. Bam Bam and Yugyeom seem to have a lot of free time so they would be easy to get together with. _

_ Jackson: No. I meant. I’d like to hang out together. With you. _

_ Mark: Oh. _

_ I don’t know if that’s a good idea. _

_ Jackson: What? Why not? _

_ Mark: Aren’t you and Jaebeom sort of a thing? _

_ Jackson: Oh. Yeah, that. Uh.. _

_ Mark: ? _

_ Jackson: We just started talking recently, you know? It’s not like we’re dating or anything and what’s wrong with two friends hanging out together? It’s not like I’d be cheating on the guy. _

_ Mark: Right.  _

_ Well, it’s kind of busy this time of year with work, but I’ll see if I have some free time. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jackson: How’s Wednesday sound? _

_ Mark: This Wednesday? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jackson: Yeah. I have a couple seminars early in the week, but should have some time mid-week to do whatever. _

_ Mark: I’ll check my schedule and let you know. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jackson: Sounds good. I better get some sleep. It’s been a long day of schmoozing corporate big wigs and drinking. I’ll talk to you later. Let me know if you can make it or not. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Mark: Will do. Goodnight. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jackson: Night. _

Mark sighed and dropped his phone onto his chest. His head was swimming with so many reasons why this was all wrong. Jaebeom had seemed so happy to find someone to talk to that wasn’t interested in his status, but why did it have to be Jackson? He knew that he wouldn’t be able to do something that would hurt his best friend, but things had seemed off between the two of them tonight. Maybe it was just Mark, but to him Jackson in person definitely didn’t seem like the guy Jaebeom had been talking to online. Maybe there was some secret side to him that Mark wasn’t seeing. He convinced himself that hanging out with Jackson was the only way to find out.

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Mark was exhausted with all of the fittings, the hair and makeup appointments, and the tiresome meetings he’d gone through to make sure everything was perfect for the upcoming fashion show that he and Bam Bam were going to be a part of. It was a new couture line by some pompous, rich brat from England that wanted to showcase an Asian flair in their work and thus decided to host the event in the heart of Seoul. Models from all walks of Asian life were flown in. Models from Thailand, Japan, and even the top tier models from India had been asked to participate. He was so tired that he had almost forgotten about Jackson’s request to spend time together until his phone went off.

_ Jackson: Hey! I just got done at the gym and was planning on heading home to shower before getting a bite to eat. You free to meet up for dinner? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Mark: I just went through one hellish first half of the week. Will there be alcohol involved? _

_ Jackson: If you so desire it. _

_ Mark: Count me in then. Where do you wanna meet? _

_ Jackson: How about the pub on the corner near Yugyeom’s dance studio. They have some pretty mean salads. I heard their burgers are pretty good, too. And they have beer. _

_ Mark: Ugh. Sounds perfect. See you in an hour? _

_ Jackson: An hour it is! _

Mark nearly launched himself off of his bed, all of his exhaustion suddenly dissipating to make way for the newfound energy that flowed through him. He was going on a date with Jackson. Wait- Was it a date? No. They were just friends. Jaebeom was interested in Jackson and Jackson was interested in Jaebeom. Wasn’t he? This was just a friendly outing. No harm done.

Mark shook his head to clear away any doubts he had in his mind of ditching Jackson and quickly made his way through his apartment to the bathroom to shower. His face was caked in makeup and his hair was styled neatly from the earlier styling test run. He looked good, but he didn’t feel like himself. He wanted to be free of all the glitz and glam of the model life when he was with his friends. By the time he had showered and slid into a much more comfortable attire than he wore during his photo shoots and runway shows, a pair of tight black skinny jeans and an oversized hoodie that nearly swallowed him up, but made him look adorably small, the clock informed him that he had just under fifteen minutes to meet Jackson at their agreed upon location.

He grabbed his keys and shoved his feet into his shoes, his phone lost in the front pocket of his hoodie. He shuffled out the front door and locked it behind him before making the short walk to his destination. He sucked in a breath as the place came into view, Jackson standing just outside the door with one hand in his pocket and the other typing away on his phone. His eyes were narrowed and Mark approached carefully, unsure of what would have gotten Jackson in what appeared to be a foul mood.

“Hey.”   
  
Mark called quietly, not wanting to startle the other man, but alerting him to his presence.

Jackson nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Mark’s voice, his eyes darting from his phone screen and landing on the other man’s face. 

“Hey.”   
  
He replied back, taking in the sight before him. Mark was adorable, soft and comfortable looking in his much too large for him hoodie. Jackson wore a simple black t-shirt, paired with a pair of dark denim jeans and black sneakers. His hair was pushed out of his face and his smile was wide when Mark nodded towards the door of the pub, eager to get something in his belly. Jackson looked back down to his phone for a moment, rolling his eyes and dimming the screen before shoving it in his pocket and opening the door for Mark.

Mark could feel himself blush at the action, not used to having someone treat him this way, but he didn’t hate it. He still wondered slightly about what had made Jackson furrow his brow so deeply when he had been looking at his phone, but he assumed it was just work related and didn’t ask. He followed Jackson to a booth in the corner, his eyes taking in the very basic decor of the place. It seemed homey and wasn’t too loud. The perfect space to wind down at the end of a long day for some food and drinks. He was glad that he decided to come.

\----------------------

_ Jackson: Did you talk to Jaebeom yet? _

_ Jinyoung: Not yet. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Jackson: Jinyoung, it’s been five days since we all met up. When are you going to tell him? _

_ Jinyoung: I know. I know. I’ve been busy with work. I have to finish reading this book this week so I can start my review. I have a bi-weekly column to write, you know.  _

_ Jackson: I know, but I’m meeting up with Mark for dinner in a few minutes and I don’t want this thing, whatever it is that you started with Jaebeom, to interfere. _

_ Jinyoung: Interfere with what? Jackson you’re not trying to date Mark, are you? _

_ Jackson: It’s none of your business who I try to date. Tell him. _

_ Jinyoung: I will. Just not right now. _

Jinyoung rolled his eyes and switched back to the app he had been staring at for the last few minutes, still trying to work up the nerve to tell Jaebeom the truth when a new message came in from said Jaebeom.

_ Norasdad16: Oh my god, today was brutal. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: Oh? What happened? _

_ Norasdad16: We had some auditions at the company and barely any of them could carry a tune. Do you know how hard it is to tell a bunch of teenagers that they’re not cut out for show business? I mean, with years of training they could improve, but some of them… _

_ Babypeach4u: I can only imagine how hard that is. I’m sure as an artist yourself you’ve been told that you weren’t good enough and it felt awful. Look at you now. _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: Yeah, I know. It’s just.. I work with some really harsh critics and I can’t put these kids through that. Letting them pass with their current level of ability would be like feeding them to the wolves. _

_ Babypeach4u: I see your point. Was there anyone at all you were interested in? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Norasdad16: There was this one kid, Bang Chan I think was his name. He’s about Bam and Yugeyeom’s age. He came from another company that wasn’t to his liking and he’s really got some skills.  _

_ Babypeach4u: Oh, so there was at least one that caught your eye then. _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. He’s definitely got some talent, so we’re working on getting the paperwork drawn up to sign him into training, but I don’t think he’ll need much of that before he can debut.  _

_ Babypeach4u: Well, that’s some good news then. _

_ Norasdad16: Yeah. How was your day?  _

_ Babypeach4u: Not too bad, just reading. _

_ Norasdad16: Oh, anything good? _

_ Babypeach4u: It’s actually kind of boring, but this time the editor chose the material. It’s a bit out of my usual realm of interest, but you do what you gotta do to make them happy _

_ Norasdad16: I wanted to ask you about that. When did you start reviewing books? I thought you owned some big company that had to do with fitness and gym stuff. Where do you find time to do book reviews? _ _  
_ _  
_ _ Babypeach4u: Ah. It’s more of a hobby, I guess. Everyone needs something to do to wind down after a long day in the office. I like to do it with a good book. _

_ Norasdad16: That makes sense. Doesn’t Jinyoung review books, too? I thought he mentioned something about that before. Did he help you get into it? _

_ Babypeach4u: Something like that. _

_ Norasdad16: Well, it’s nice that you guys have that in common. I might be in the entertainment industry, but I could never get into all that fashion crap that Mark and Bam Bam have to deal with as models. It’s all just too suffocating. I can’t stand having to put on a suit and tie for awards shows even. _

_ Babypeach4u: You, in a suit and tie? I’d like to see it. _

_ Norasdad16: Maybe when the year end awards come up again. _

_ Babypeach4u: I look forward to it. _

_ Norasdad16: I don’t. _

_ Babypeach4u: I hate to cut this short, but I really need to get back to this exciting tale of James and his giant peach. _

_ Norasdad16: I’d think you’d love anything having to do with peaches. _

_ Babypeach4u: Only when it’s a nice ripe booty. _

_ Norasdad16: Oh.  _

_ Well, I’ll let you get back to that. Enjoy! _

_ Babypeach4u: I’ll try. Talk to you later. _

\----------------------

Jaebeom was enjoying the text conversations he was having with Jackson, but by the end of the following week he was starting to want to see him again. It had been two weeks since they had all gotten together as a group and Mark had become increasingly harder to spend time with lately. He knew that everyone was busy with their own things, he, himself often the one unable to get out of the studio and meet up with friends. They had finally finalized Bang Chan’s status in the company as a trainee along with a couple of younger kids, all of the paperwork signed and filed with the proper departments. They would start working with them on the following Monday to see exactly where they were skillswise in several different areas. Until then, Jaebeom was ready to take it easy and forget about work.

_ Norasdad16: Are you free this weekend? _

_ Babypeach4u: I’m not sure. Why what’s up? _

_ Norasdad16: We finally finished up with the new recruits and I think it’s about time I go out and enjoy myself again. _

_ Babypeach4u: Ah, so are you asking me to go out with you? _

_ Norasdad16: Only if you have time. I know you’re busy. _

_ Babypeach4u: I’ll check my schedule and get back to you. _

Jinyoung panicked, his face going white as he re-read the conversation he had just had with Jaebeom. Jaebeom wanted to meet up, wanted to hang out: with Jackson. He still hadn’t gotten around to telling him the truth. Every time he planned to do so something came up. That something being not wanting to ruin their current relationship, whatever it was. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes, and centering himself before walking into the shitstorm he knew was about to come.

“Jackson..”

Jackson turned his head to look at Jinyoung from his perch at the small dining table in their kitching. His eyebrow raised curiously as he took in the state of his best friend.

“What’s wrong, Jinyoung?”

He was concerned. Jinyoung was oftentimes disheveled and tired looking after an all nighter with one of his books, but he rarely looked ready to pass out with worry lines crossing his forehead and his lips pursed in a distressing pout.

“Jaebeom wants to meet up.”

Jinyoung croaked, his eyes falling to study the yellowing tile of their kitchen floor. 

“Ok, then why don’t you meet up with him?”

Jackson inquired, not understanding what the problem was.

“It’s not me he wants to meet up with.”

Jackson’s brow furrowed deeper, then suddenly his eyes widened in understanding.

“You still didn’t tell him, did you?”

He tried to control the anger in his voice, the hand holding his fork shaking ever so slightly.

“No.”

Jinyoung started.

“I- I wanted to! I did, but it’s so hard. He- He really likes you. Me. I don’t know and if I tell him now…”

“If you’re asking me to meet up with him in your place then the answer is no Jinyoung.” 

Jackson was angry. Far angrier than he had been on the day he had learned about Jinyoung’s lies. He had not only lied to Jaebeom, but to Jackson with his false promises of telling Jaebeom the truth.

“Jackson.. “

“No.”

“Please! Just this once. Please. I have to finish this book and it’s so stressful and he’s been such a good ear for when I need one and you’re not around. I don’t want to ruin this. Not yet. So please..”

Jinyoung begged, dark eyes falling on the rigid form of his best friend. He was wringing his hands in front of himself nervously, his cheeks flushed red with anxiety.

Jackson sighed.

“Fine. One time Jinyoung, but this is the last time I’m doing this for you. If you don’t tell him the truth soon then I will.”

“Thank you.”

Jinyoung whispered, knowing that Jackson wasn’t kidding when he made threats such as these. He bowed his head in thanks and made his way back to his room to let Jaebeom know that he would be seeing him soon.

\----------------------

Sunday afternoon approached more quickly than Jinyoung had expected it to. He stood just outside of the bathroom door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching Jackson as he styled his hair in preparation of his meeting with Jaebeom. He could see Jackson watching him out of the corner of his eye, the slightly older male clearly frustrated with the situation if the scowl on his lips when he caught Jinyoung's eye in the mirror was anything to go by. 

“You should be the one in here right now.”

Jackson spat, his hands moving to grip the white porcelain sink. He turned his head slightly to glance at his best friend, who was now looking down at the floor.

“I know.”

Jinyoung replied, his voice four more quiet than his usual tone.

"Yes, you know. You always know, and yet here we are.”

Jackson responded gruffly. He glanced at himself one last time in the mirror before making his way out of the bathroom and standing toe-to-toe with Jinyoung. He placed one hand on the wall next to Jinyoung's head, forcing the other male to look up at him with a startled expression.

"I was serious when I said it will only be this one time. Do not ask me to do this again."

Jinyoung nodded in reply, unable to put his thoughts into words. He knew that what he was doing was wrong and he knew that he was not making the situation any easier for any of them. He knew how Jackson felt about Mark and he knew that he was forcing Jackson to keep secrets from him as well. He could only hope that he would be able to find the courage to tell Jaebeom the truth before it was too late and ruined all of their friendships.

Jaebeom glanced down at his phone while he waited outside of the small bistro that he and Jackson had agreed to meet up at. It was just past noon and they had decided on a late lunch date, Jaebeom having a bad habit of sleeping in on the weekends. He smiled as a message came through, stating that Jackson was on his way out the door and would be there shortly. He had arrived earlier than they had agreed to meet up, wanting to spend as much time with the other as possible. He opened up his text messages to read the latest reply from Mark, the slightly older male currently on location for a quick photo shoot with one of the Japanese models that had flown in for the fashion show.

_ Mark: So you are having your lunch date with Jackson today? _

_ Jaebeom: Yes, I'm already here and I'm just waiting on him to arrive. _

_ Mark: I see. Well, I hope that you have a good time. I have to get back to the shoot soon, so we will talk later. _

_ Jaebeom: Alright, enjoy your shoot. Make sure to send me some pictures when you have a chance. I'm sure that Jackson would like to see you in your top model form. _

_ Mark: I'm sure he would… _

Jackson trotted across the street when the walk signal lit up, one hand raised to wave at Jaebeom just as the other looked up from his phone. He smiled when Jaebeom noticed him and waved back, quickly closing the distance between them. 

"You didn't wait long, did you?"

Jackson inquired as he reached the other male.

"No, not long. I've only been here for a couple of minutes."

Jaebeom lied, not wanting to let on to his excitement at seeing the other man. 

Jackson looked good, his hair parted on the side and combed over neatly. He wore a black sleeveless shirt tucked into an equally dark pair of jeans that were secured in place with a leather belt. He topped off the look with a pale pink button down shirt that hung open and loose over his wide torso. Jaebeom had a hard time tearing his eyes away from the other man.

“Shall we?”

Jackson asked, opening the door for Jaebeom, much like he had for Mark several times over the past week. 

Jaebeom smiled and walked past Jackson to enter the bistro, leading him inside into his usual spot. He frequented the place during the work week and sometimes on weekends when he needed a break. He waved to The familiar barista that was behind the counter and took a seat at the small round table across from Jackson.

A high school aged girl approached them shortly after, offering the two a set of menus and taking their drink orders before disappearing again to leave them to look over the daily specials. Jaebeom had gone with his usual iced Americano as his drink of choice and glanced over the menu, despite having memorized it by this point. He didn't want to seem too interested in looking at the man seated in front of him.

“You got your review in on time I take it?”

Jaebeom tried to break through the tension in the air with a simple question. 

“Huh?”

Jackson looked confused for a moment, but quickly schooled his expression upon the realization that this was a question meant for Jinyoung, not himself. He hummed in thought, trying to remember if Jinyoung had mentioned anything about it to him in his briefing of what was and wasn’t safe topics of conversation with Jaebeom. This was all just so very foreign to Jackson, living a double life and lying to his friends.

“Oh, yeah. I gave it to my editor on Friday. Haven’t heard anything from him about it yet.”

“I thought your editor was a woman?”

Jaebeom stared at Jackson, his usually clear eyes full of concern. Why did Jackson seem so thrown off by his questions today? Maybe he was just tired.

“Ah, normally she is, yes, but.. She’s on vacation, so someone else is filling in for her.”

Jackson explained. He wasn’t too fond of his growing ability to lie on the spot.

“Oh! Well, that makes sense then.”

Jaebeom smiled, accepting the response. Jinyoung hadn’t mentioned it prior, but it really wasn’t all that important anyway. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the waitress returned, setting their drinks on the table and looking at them curiously. He glanced down at the menu and back up at her, having decided even before he arrived what he planned to order. He shared his choice with the young girl, giving Jackson time to settle on his own and taking a careful sip of his drink when he had finished.

Once the waitress left them again, Jaebeom sat quietly, gazing out the window into the empty street. He was unsure of what to say to Jackson. They had spoken throughout the week, therefore he knew most of what was going on in the other's life and vice versa.

“Any plans for the upcoming holiday?”

Jackson broke the silence, drawing Jaebeom’s attention back to him. He had nearly forgotten that Valentine’s Day was just around the corner with how swamped he had been at work. Onboarding and preparing trainees, as well as meeting deadlines for tracks he had been working on had taken up most of his time recently.

“Ah, no. Not yet…”

Jaebeom replied sheepishly.

“What about you?”

He was curious if Jackson’s inquiry had been a way to break the ice on asking him out on another date, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up.

“Probably just working.”

Jackson shrugged. Valentine’s Day would fall on a Tuesday and the only holidays he allowed himself off were Chuseok and Christmas should they happen to fall on a weekday. 

Jaebeom nodded, a bit disappointed, but not surprised. Jackson was a hard working man. Not only running his own global empire, but also with his book reviewing hobby. He probably didn’t have a lot of time to date. Not that Jaebeom did, either, but he would have made time.

They sat in silence for the remainder of the time it took before their food arrived, Jaebeom taking to staring out the window again and Jackson checking the scattered texts that came in. One in particular causing him to frown.

_ Mark: I heard you have a date today. _

_ Jackson: It’s not a date. We’re just getting lunch. _

_ Mark: Just like how we got lunch? Four times over the past two weeks. Not to mention the dinners. _

_ Jackson: That’s different. _

_ Mark: Is it? _

_ Jackson: Can we talk about this later? You know that I’m out with Jaebeom and I really can’t do this right now. _

_ Mark: Sure. Enjoy your date. _

Jackson sighed, dropping his phone to the tabletop and rubbing his face with his hands. He really couldn’t do this right now. He was already on the verge of the biggest bout of self loathing he had ever come face to face with and Mark wasn’t making him feel any better about the whole situation. Why had he let Jinyoung drag him into this mess?

“Everything alright?”

Jaebeom was concerned, noting the change in Jackson’s demeanor. He had seemed a bit distracted, but now he seemed downright distressed.

“Yeah. Just.. work stuff.”

Jackson supplied, sighing and sliding his phone off of the table and into his pocket where he wouldn’t see it and be tempted to call Mark to explain everything. It wasn’t only his story to tell. He couldn’t betray Jinyoung like that, even if it meant betraying Mark’s trust for now.

“Work can be stressful, that’s for sure.”

Jaebeom offered, no stranger to the push and pull of running your own business. Even when you were off, you were never truly free of your job.

Jackson nodded, sinking down into his seat and gazing at Jaebeom from across the table. Now that he was looking at him properly he notice that he was quite attractive. He knew that the man was popular with women and men alike, but he hadn’t really taken the time to appreciate the way his eyebrows furrowed when he was confused or deep in thought, or the way his nose sloped down to stop just above perfectly bowed lips, and he had almost forgotten about the twin moles that dotted his left eye. He hummed his appreciation lowly, his attention only pulled away from the other man when the loud clink of a plate being set before him sounded. Their food had arrived.

Jaebeom chuckled at the way Jackson had startled, his own eyes having taken to wandering over the other man's face as well. He had seen the waitress approaching out of the corner of his eye and turned to greet her, thanking her for the food before she headed back to the kitchen area again. It looked wonderful as always, a heaping plate of fries that sat alongside a fancy deli sandwich. It was far from traditional Korean food, but sometimes he liked to partake in a more Western style dish. He nodded to Jackson, who had ordered a simple caesar salad before lifting the sandwich to his lips and taking a large bite.

Their meal was shared in amiable silence, a few words exchanged in between bites to express their delight at the taste of the food and engage in idle chit chat. By the time they had finished their food they had settled into a much more comfortable atmosphere. Jaebeom felt much less tense than when they had originally met up, laughing and shaking his head at the stories Jackson told of his failed business meetings and wild overseas trips to meet far less than professional people who were interested in partnering up with him. Jaebeom shared equally crazy stories of trainees and their parents who had threatened him should he decide not to work with their children. Not to mention many trials and errors he had to overcome himself to get where he was today. A couple of hours had passed by the time they had stopped laughing, drawing the attention of many passing females who had stopped in for a drink or a bite to eat, and Jaebeom knew it was time to part ways.

“I supposed we should head out and stop taking up their table space, huh?”

He suggested softly, not quite ready to end their little date.

“I don’t think anyone is complaining. They seem to be gathering quite a crowd of girls that want to stare at the two hot guys in the corner.”   
  
Jackson chuckled, nodding his head towards the front of the bistro where a small group of high school girls were huddled together, giggling and watching them. They jumped and squealed when Jackson lifted one hand to waggle his fingers at them, laughing as they scattered and bowed their heads before scrambling out the front door. 

Jaebeom shook his head, rolling his eyes, but finding himself amused at the situation. It wasn’t uncommon that he was stared at. He wasn’t exactly unknown in the world, being an award winning producer. Jackson had quite his own following and putting the two of them together in public was going to cause a stir. He laughed again, picking up the bill off of the table and standing.

“What are you doing?”

Jackson inquired, frowning a bit at Jaebeom taking charge of the bill as he stood.

“Getting ready to pay. I asked you to come today, don’t think I’m letting you pay for anything.”

Jaebeom chuckled, making his way to the register where he handed over the bill and pulled out his wallet. 

Jackson gaped at Jaebeom from where he still stood at the table. This wasn’t a date. Jaebeom needn’t pay for him. He had his own money. He wanted to argue, but Jaebeom was already handing his credit card to the same young girl that had handled their order and he sighed in defeat. He’d let it slide this time, but he promised himself that it would not happen again. He would not allow himself to be put in this position by Jinyoung in the future. This had to stop and it had to stop now. With a new resolution to end it, he walked up to Jaebeom’s side, bowing his head in thanks to the waitress and offering a small wave to the kitchen staff who was peeking out at them as they made their exit.

“I have a few loose ends to tie up before we start work tomorrow, so I should be heading out. Thank you for the meal, Jaebeom.”

Jackson spat as soon as they were outside the building. He refused to leave room for anything further. He needed to get home as soon as possible and convince Jinyoung to end this thing.

“Ah. That’s understandable. Well, I hope you have a safe trip home. It was nice to see you, Jackson. Thank you for coming today.”

Jaebeom was polite, cautious with his words, sensing that the earlier tension was bleeding back into their comfortable space. He wouldn’t keep Jackson if he had things to do, despite his own desire to spend more time with the man. He smiled and waved, sending the other man off, before turning and heading in the direction of his own apartment, phone now in hand.

_ Jaebeom: How was your shoot? _

_ Mark: It was fine. How was your date? _

_ Jaebeom: It was … awkward? He seemed a bit off at times, but other times he was very attentive. _

_ Mark: I see. Are you going home now? _

_ Jaebeom: Yeah. We finished eating and talked a bit, then he said he had some work to do so we parted ways. He’s really handsome, Mark. You should have seen him. _

_ Mark: I’ve seen him. _

_ Jaebeom: I know you have, I just mean.. Nevermind. You’re probably tired from your shoot. I don’t want to bother you with my boring date details. _

_ Mark: I thought it wasn’t a date. _

_ Jaebeom: Did I say that? Hm. Maybe I did. I don’t remember. _

_ Mark: You’re right. I’m tired. I’ll talk to you later. _

_ Jaebeom: Ok. Take care. _

_ Mark: You, too _

\----------------------

Jackson slammed into the apartment, the door nearly bouncing off of the wall as it flew open. He stormed through the entryway, closing the door just as violently as he had opened it and causing a very tangled up Yugyeom and Bam Bam to nearly jump out of what little clothing they still had on. He glared at them as he passed the couch they sat on, ignoring their very terrified and confused gazes. His angry steps thundered down the hallway, his knuckles rapping violently against the wooden door to Jinyoung’s room, oblivious to the hushed whispers that wafted out from the living room.

“Jinyoung! We need to talk.  _ Now. _ ”

Jinyoung looked up from the book he was reading, having heard Jackson’s angry entry into their apartment. He knew he was in trouble from the moment his best friend stepped inside, but the tone of his voice and the way the door shook with the force behind Jackson’s fist had him more than a little worried. He sucked in a shaky breath, marking the place in his book and setting it at his side.

“Come in, Jackson.”

Jinyoung was surprised that the door didn’t come off the hinges when Jackson threw it open, his rigid form stepping into the room without closing it behind him.

“This ends now, Jinyoung.”

Jackson was fuming, his irritation coming off in waves. It took all of his willpower not to raise his voice, knowing that they had company who was as far he knew, unaware of the situation.

Jinyoung sighed, placing his hands in his lap and trying to school his expression enough to not show the fear that was bubbling in his chest. Jackson was his best friend, but he knew that he could be a force to be reckoned with when he was angry, and was not keen on being on the receiving end of his wrath.

“What happened?”

He asked calmly, his voice as even as he could muster.

“What happened? You happened, Jinyoung. You came up with some stupid lie about who you are, and for what? To make yourself feel better? You're _ hurting  _ people! For the sake of your own damn self-preservation. I can’t believe that I agreed to go along with this bullshit. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to lie to him, Jinyoung? To lie to _ Mark _ ? What did either of them do to deserve this?”

Jackson was livid, his voice raising in pitch the longer he spoke. It took everything he had in him to not close the gap between himself and his best friend and punch him square in the face.

“What does Mark have to do with this?”

Jinyoung was sincerely confused. He didn’t recall bringing up the American at any time in conversation with Jaebeom, nor had he spoken to him on his own. 

Jackson sighed, running a hand through his hair and causing the loose strands to fall into his tired eyes. He released some of the tension in his shoulders, letting his weight sag a bit before he made his way to the edge of Jinyoung’s bed. He saw the way Jinyoung visibly tensed up, his form shifting back against the headboard as Jackson neared.

“Relax. I’m not going to fight you. I just need to sit down.”

Jackson rolled his eyes, settling at Jinyoung’s feet. He picked a loose string that was peeking up at him from the comforter under his legs.

“Mark..”

He started, not knowing exactly what to say about the situation to Jinyoung. He knew that Jinyoung would likely be upset, but it wasn’t his place to be. Mark had done nothing wrong and Jackson _ liked _ him, but he was hurting him with all of the secrets and lies.

“I’ve been seeing him..”

Jackson admitted, his voice much quieter than it had been.

“You’ve been  _ what _ ?!”

Jinyoung panicked now, his face going pale as he digested the words he had just been fed. Jackson and Mark had been seeing one another. For how long? Did Mark know about the situation with Jaebeom? Did Jaebeom know that Jackson had been seeing Mark? What was going on?

“It hasn’t been that long.”    
  
Jackson started, already knowing how Jinyoung’s mind worked and he could see the wheels turning frantically behind his eyes.

“We went out a few times and Jinyoung, I really like him. I can’t keep this up. He thinks that you’re me and I’m you and he knows that I went out with Jaebeom today and he’s upset with me because he feels something for me, too. I know he does and I can’t lie to him anymore. I can’t keep acting like he means nothing to me. I can’t keep acting like he’s just a friend, because he’s not, Jinyoung. Please, you have to tell Jaebeom the truth. You have to end this, for the sake of everyone involved. It’s killing me and it’s hurting Mark, and it’s going to hurt Jaebeom, too.”

Jackson was pleading by now, his hands clasped together tightly in his lap. He wasn’t one to beg, but he needed this. It had been a long time since he had had the time to even think about dating, let alone found someone that he saw a future with. It was still new to them, but Mark felt like someone he could really settle down with and he wasn’t about to let Jinyoung ruin it with his scheming. He was afraid it may already be too late.

“Jackson, I didn’t know…”

Jinyoung started, unsure of how to respond. It was a new revelation to hear about Jackson’s feelings for Mark and that they had been seeing one another. He knew that Jackson was attracted to the other man, but he had no idea how deep it ran, despite being such a short amount of time that they had all met up again. He suddenly felt like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. He really did need to tell Jaebeom the truth, for the sake of his friends.

“I- I’ll tell him, Ok?”

Jinyoung promised, swallowing down the lump that had settled in his throat. He knew it was time and he knew what he had to do, but bringing himself to do it was the problem. He didn’t want Jaebeom to be angry with him, despite being very deserving of all of the anger that the man may have to throw in his direction.

“Thank you.”

Jackson was sincere in his thanks, hoping that all of this would be resolved soon.

“Maybe it will work out for you, too. I just hope that Mark will understand and not decide to never see me again once he knows…”

He was hopeful, but he also knew that the other man had a temper much more violent than his own.

“Yeah, maybe.”

Jinyoung offered him a weak smile, one hand reaching out to rest on top of Jackson’s. He was met with kind eyes, much less angry than they had been a few minutes before, but they still held a hint of fear at losing what he had so carefully forged with the American man.

“Everything will be alright. I promise.”

It was a promise Jinyoung hoped he could keep.

\----------------------

Valentine’s Day was upon them before they knew it and Jackson was suiting up for his date with Mark. He had spoken to the other man briefly over the last day and had promised him that things would all make sense soon. Mark had hesitantly agreed to meet him for dinner and Jackson was over the moon. He had assumed that Jinyoung had handled the situation with Jaebeom and that things went well as he hadn’t heard from him about any outbursts from the other man. 

Jinyoung was currently in his room, furiously typing away at his keyboard in an argument with his editor via their live chat over the contents of his recently submitted article. He had been asked to write up a piece on relationships in classic literature for their Valentine’s Day issue and it hadn’t been what they had had in mind. His take on homosexuality in the works of many 19th century authors was less thank pleasant, often alluding to the lack of it being present. They had to run the article as is, with little time for change and it hadn’t garnered a positive response. His editor was furious and Jinyoung was above reproach. They had given him creative freedom without it being handed over to his superiors before printing due to the tight deadline. They had trusted him to write an article that was a smash hit, not a bash piece on authors of the past and their lack of inclusion. 

He barely heard the goodbye that Jackson shouted in his direction on his way out the door. By the time he looked up, Jackson was long gone and he shrugged, continuing to defend his position on the article and why it should not be of any consequence in the 20th century. This wasn’t ancient Greece, and lord knows that their nobles took many a boy to their beds. His promise to tell Jaebeom the truth had been long since forgotten.

Mark stood in the foyer of a grand looking restaurant, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he rocked back on his heels. He was wearing a three-piece suit, one that he had been gifted by an up and coming designer for his help in launching their signature collection. His hair was styled neatly and his makeup was subtle, yet accentuated his already flawless features. He had expected extravagance from the other man, but nothing of this caliber. He knew that Jackson was well off and could afford such luxuries, but he was barely suited to them himself. He had oftentimes been forced into a suit and paraded around by his peers and employers, a top model and sometimes spokesman for luxury brands. He withdrew one hand and checked the gold watch that was fastened snugly around his wrist when he heard the familiar voice calling out to him.

He looked up to find Jackson sprinting up the stairs and slipping into the restaurant, one hand instantly moving to rest on Mark’s lower back. He stiffened up immediately, throwing Jackson a surprised glance, and finding himself met with the dazzling smile he had grown quite fond of. His own lips curved into a small smile of his own, his eyes shifting to meet the curious gaze of the hostess who was waiting to greet them.

“Wang. Table for two.”

Jackson stated with practiced ease, bowing his head and urging Mark to walk in front of him as the hostess led them to a secluded area of the restaurant. He heard the low chuckle when he pulled out Mark’s chair, allowing him to sit first and then took his place across the dinner table from the other man. He felt his breath catch in his throat when he was able to finally take a good look at the man, the low candlelight of the table casting shadows across his handsome face.

“Mark, you look..”

He started.

“Stunning? I know. You’d think I made a living off of my looks or something.”

Mark finished for him, the joke easing them into conversation.

“Yes. Stunning indeed.”

Jackson agreed.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Mark wasn’t one for games and he wasn’t one to wait for answers. He clasped his hands together neatly on the table in front of him, eyes boring into Jackson’s without fear. He felt it, however, his insides in turmoil at the words that he knew were about to come.

Jackson sighed, setting down the menu he had just picked up, and reaching across the table to take one of Mark’s hands into his own. 

“Mark. I like you.”

Jackson stated, boldly and truthfully.

It was Mark’s turn to sigh.

“I like you, too.”

“But?”

Jackson could sense his hesitance.

“But.. We can’t do this.”

Mark stated plainly, carefully pulling his hand free of Jackson’s grip, and noting the distress that was now bleeding into the other man's features.

“What do you mean?”

Jackson’s voice was shaky, his throat gone dry.

“I mean we can’t do _ this _ , Jackson.”

Mark waved a hand between them.

“I can’t be  _ here _ . I can’t be  _ with you _ , on Valentine’s Day.”

He finished, his tone firm, but his lower lip was pulled between his teeth to stop it from quivering.

“Do you not like me?”

Jackson asked, fearful of Mark’s reply.

“No, I like you. I do. That-.”

Jackson was on his feet before Mark could finish, crowding into the other man’s space, and cupping his cheek with a warm palm. Their lips crashed together messily, Mark’s jaw hanging slack out of sheer surprise. He felt Mark respond finally, his lips moving to meet Jackson’s own in a sensual dance, but then he felt Mark’s hands on his chest; pushing him away.

“I can’t. We can’t. I- I have to go.”

Jackson was left standing alone, staring at the retreating back of the man he thought he was going to spend the evening, if not the rest of forever with. He sank down into the empty chair that Mark ahd left pulled out as he fled, his elbows coming to rest on the tabletop, and his face buried in his hands. He wasn’t sure what he had done wrong. He had explained to Mark that things were not as they seemed. He had told him that he liked him, had invited him to this fancy restaurant to show him that he meant something to him. More than just cheap takeout and diners. What could have gone wrong that would make Mark leave like this? 

Jinyoung had told Jaebeom the truth, hadn’t he? Mark was Jaebeom’s best friend. He wouldn’t have agreed to come out if he thought that Jaebeom and Jackson were still involved would he? He let it stir in his mind for a few minutes before it dawned on him that perhaps Jinyoung  _ hadn’t  _ told Jaebeom the truth and that Mark still thought there was something between Jaebeom and himself. He needed to talk to Jinyoung.

He stood to exit the restaurant, to find Jinyoung and hear his explanation. He would have called, but he left his phone at home, wanting his evening with Mark to go uninterrupted. However, he was approached by the familiar face of the restaurant manager, her usually bright expression now showing a bit of concern.

“Is everything alright, Mr Wang? It seems your guest has left without you.”

“Ah, yes. Something came up and he had to go. It seems that we have wasted your time and your precious dining space this evening. I’ll also be on my way.”

“You do recall that we have a very hefty cancellation fee, do you not?”

She reminded him softly.

“Right. Yes. I suppose I could eat. Thank you for your kind consideration.” 

Jackson bit back a groan, well aware that the restaurant was hard to book and that their cancellation fees were nearly as expensive as dining two people. It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford it, but his stomach was beginning to ache with hunger. He had been too excited to eat all day and would likely not find time between arriving home and seeking out Jinyoung to eat. He wasn’t sure if the man would even be at home when he arrived. He took a seat back at the table and picked up his discarded menu to browse through their specials, ignoring the curious eyes that fell on him. He would deal with Jinyoung later.

Jaebeom was in the middle of finalizing a track in his home studio when he heard the sound of his doorbell cut through the music in his ears. He took off his oversized headset and shoved his chair back, padding through the apartment, all the while dodging the cats that had chosen to weave their way between his legs as he walked. 

“Yeah. I’m coming. I’m  _ coming! _ ”

He shouted, running a hand through the mop of hair on his head, the incessant ringing growing obnoxious. He flung the door open, his arms suddenly full of his best friend before he could even see who had been so eager to be let in. 

“Mark? Mark, what’s wrong?”

He could feel the other man shaking against his chest, Mark’s arms flung haphazardly around Jaebeom’s middle. He was crying. Mark rarely cried. Jaebeom panicked. He carefully stepped back enough to allow him space to close the door without bumping Mark and he dropped his arms to wrap around the smaller man’s frame.

“Jackson..”

Mark mumbled against Jaebeom’s chest.

“Jackson? What about Jackson?”

Jaebeom was confused, but concerned. Had something happened to Jackson? Why was Mark in his apartment crying and bringing up Jackson?

“He kissed me.”

Mark sputtered, his words almost lost to the thick fabric of Jaebeom’s hoodie as he buried his face impossibly deep in the material.

“He kissed you? What did you say Mark? Jackson kissed you?”

Jaebeom was really confused now.

Mark nodded.

“Mark. Let’s sit down. You’re shaking and not making any sense.”

Jaebeom pried Mark away from his body and took his hand, leading him slowly through the mess of shoes and cats and into the living area. He sat down on the couch, letting a still shaking Mark settle down next to him before releasing his hand.

Mark wiped at his face, the tears not ceasing, but slowing. His cheeks were red with frustration and sadness, his nose running, and he sniffled before speaking.

“I’ve been seeing Jackson..”

Mark admitted, his eyes downcast to stare at his hands. He was picking at the hem of his suit jacket nervously.

“What do you mean seeing Jackson?”

Jaebeome asked, knowing full well what that meant, but refusing to believe it.

“I mean, we’ve been going on dates..”

Mark explained, his eyes moving to meet Jaebeom’s startled ones. He knew that his best friend would likely be angry with him, but Jaebeom seemed oddly calm.

“How long?”

Jaebeom asked, his voice steady, but the anger starting to trickle in.

“A couple of weeks. Since shortly after we all met up..”

“So you’re telling me that you’re dating Jackson?”

Jaebeom asked, trying to be positive before he made any rash decisions.

Mark nodded.

Jaebeom inhaled sharply.

“If you’re dating Jackson.. Then why are you here, in my apartment crying, instead of with him? You said he kissed you. What are you so upset about?”

Jaebeom tried not to let his anger poison his words, but he could hear it bleeding through. Jaebeom loved Mark, but he didn’t understand what was going on and he wasn’t pleased with what he was being told. Mark seemingly had what Jaebeom thought he was getting. Why was he here, in front of him, crying when he could be out with the man Jaebeom was supposed to be seeing?

“Jaebeom, I-”

Mark started, unsure of how to explain. It had all just kind of happened. He wasn’t supposed to fall for Jackson. He wasn’t supposed to be the reason his best friend didn’t get to have the happy ending he deserved.

“Forget it. Just, get out.”

Jaebeom growled, standing from his place on the couch. He hated being harsh with Mark, but this was too much. He couldn’t bear to watch Mark cry over the man he himself was so close to. They had never explicitly stated their relationship or agreed not to see other people, but it was assumed. This was  _ Mark, his best friend, _ not some random person that Jaebeom had never met that Jackson was seeing and it hurt.

“Jaebeom.”

Mark tried, his eyes pleading, but he was met with nothing but the stone cold mask that he knew Jaebeom wore when he was deeply hurt. There was nothing he could say to fix this, not right now. He let out a sigh, wiping his eyes one last time, and standing to face Jaebeom. He bowed his head in apology.

“I’ll let myself out.”

He turned away from Jaebeom, saying a silent prayer in his head that his best friend could forgive him, even if it meant that he would have to give up ever seeing Jackson again.

Jaebeom dropped to the couch as soon as he heard the door close behind Mark, his head falling back against the soft cushions. He blinked up at the ceiling, his eyebrows coming together as he thought back on his day. He had just spoken with Jackson before going to work on his track, hadn’t he? Jackson had said that he was busy with something and wouldn’t be doing anything for the holiday, but that he would message Jaebeom when he was done with whatever it was that he was doing. Jaebeom had gotten so caught up in his own work that he hadn’t bothered to check his messages. Had Jackson excused himself so that he could continue seeing Mark behind Jaebeom’s back? 

He dug around in his hoodie pocket until his hands wrapped around his phone, pulling it free, and he noted the tell-tale blinking of a missed message. He swiped the screen open and clicked the notification, noting that he had received a message from Jackson just fifteen minutes prior. Had he been with Mark up until that time? He opened the message and pulled his lower lip between his teeth, chewing on it in irritation, before finally responding to the last message he had received.

_ Babypeach4u: Finally free!  _

_ Norasdad16: Free from your date? How could you lie to me like this? _

_ Babypeach4u: What date? What are you talking about? _

_ Norasdad16: You’re really still going to play dumb? You lied to me. _

_ Babypeach4u: What? I didn’t go on a date. I had to deal with my editor flipping out about the article I wrote for our Valentine’s Day issue. It got bad reception. _

_ Norasdad16: So you’re telling me that you weren’t on a date with Mark? _

_ Babypeach4u: What? No? Why would I be.. Oh. _

_ Norasdad16: Oh? So you’re admitting that you lied to me? _

_ Babypeach4u: Jaebeom, I can explain. _

_ Norasdad16: Explain why Mark was just in my apartment crying about how you kissed him and you’ve been seeing him since we all met up? Oh, I’d love to hear it. _

_ Babypeach4u: Mark was just there?  _

_ Norasdad16: Yes, but I was so angry that I sent him away. You hurt my best friend, Jackson, and you hurt me. And because of that I- I also hurt my best friend. _

_ Babypeach4u: Jaebeom, please, just listen to me. I can explain all of this. _

_ Norasdad16: I’m waiting. _

Jinyoung dropped his phone, the loud clatter not nearly as loud as the sound of Jackson’s feet as they crossed the distance from the doorway to Jinyoung’s chair. He felt himself spin at a speed that was nauseating and he came face to face with a very angry, very disheveled Jackson Wang.

“I can explain.”

He sputtered, not prepared for what came next. He was in the air, then dropped onto his bed, a furious Jackson clambering over him and screaming in his face.

“What the fuck, Jinyoung? You told me you were going to tell him the truth. It doesn’t seem like you did.”

Jackson spat, his eyes wild with rage.

“I meant to, but I just. I didn't have time. I had to finish the article and then it didn’t go over well and I’ve been arguing with my editor and PR all day. I swear I just forgot!”

Jinyoung tried to defend himself, his arms moving to cover his face in case Jackson chose to hit him for his mistakes. Lord knew he deserved it.

“You forgot. You fucking forgot, Jinyoung?”

Jackson’s voice was louder than it had ever been.

“Yes.”

Jinyoung squeaked, unable to muster any more words.

“Well, it’s about time to un-forget. I'm going to call Mark and beg him to see me again so that I can explain things to him and you- You’re going to tell Jaeboem the truth, even if I have to stand over top of you and make sure you do it.”

Jackson rolled back onto his haunches, still looking predatory in Jinyoung’s eyes, but he let out a sigh of relief in having some of his personal space back. He nodded his head slowly, shakily sitting up to reach for his phone.

“I’ll talk to him now. He said Mark showed up at his place, but he made him leave. Mark was crying..”

Jinyoung shared, swallowing thickly with the admission.

“What? Are you kidding me? He made him leave when he was that upset? Jinyoung, clean this mess up. I’m going to find Mark.”

Jackson was off of him in an instant, giving him one last deadly glare, and then he was out the door.

Jinyoung stared down at the phone in his hand, Jaebeom’s last message left unanswered, and he sucked in a breath. It was now or never.

_ Babypeach4u: I’ll explain, but not over text. Meet me where we all had dinner last time. _

_ Norasdad16: What makes you think I’ll come and not punch you in the face as soon as I see you? _

_ Babypeach4u: That’s a risk I’m willing to take if you’ll just listen. _

_ Norasdad16: Fine. I can be there in twenty minutes. You better show up and you better have a damn good reason for all of this. _

_ Babypeach4u: Trust me, I do. I’ll see you soon. _

Jinyoung was seated on the bench just outside of the familiar barbeque restaurant, his hands rubbing together idly to warm them when Jaebeom approached. His breath was visible in the chilled air, his eyes downcast. This wasn’t what Jaebeom had expected. He had expected to see Jackson, but instead he found his roommate sitting in the spot they had agreed to meet. He had spoken to Jinyoung a couple of times over text since they had all met up, but their conversations never went beyond a casual greeting. He felt his anger rising back up again at the realization that Jackson wasn’t coming.

“Jinyoung, what are you doing here? Where’s Jackson?”

Jaebeom started, stepping forward and stopping just in front of the other man. He could see the way Jinyoung tensed up, his eyes raising from the ground to meet his own steely gaze.

“Jackson isn’t coming.”

Jinyoung mumbled, keenly aware that Jaebeom already knew this if the eye rolle that followed was any indication.

“And  _ why _ isn’t Jackson coming? Wasn’t he supposed to give me a grand explanation of why he’s been fucking around not only me, but also my best friend?”

Jaebeom’s words felt like venom, but Jinyoung knew he was the one who deserved them. Not Jackson.

“He’s with Mark.”

Jinyoung explained, having received a text message just minutes before Jaebeom had shown up. Jackson had explained the situation and while Mark was angry with him and wanted to call Jaebeom right away, he had convinced Mark that Jinyoung would handle Jaebeom and to let them work it out on their own. The message came with a threat from Mark that he would do far worse to him than Jackson ever could if he didn’t settle things right away.

“Of course.”

Jaebeom scoffed, his eyes narrowing at Jinyoung.

“And you were left to be the bearer of bad news, I guess?”

“Not exactly.”

Jinyoung started, his fingers moving to grip the hem of his jacket.

“What’s not bad news about it? Jackson lied to me. He made me think we had a connection, all the while he was going out on dates with Mark, and then he chose to be with him instead of giving me the grand explanation I was promised? He also dragged you into this shit by having you come instead. How are you not angry?”

Jaebeom didn’t understand how Jinyoung could be sitting here looking mostly calm, albeit slightly unnerved when all of this was happening. 

“Jackson didn’t drag me into this.”

“What? So you knew?”

Jaebeom was appalled at the depth of the scheme. Even Jinyoung had been a part of it.

“I didn’t know about Mark until the other day.”

Jinyoung explained, trying to do what little damage control he could manage.

“Also.. Jackson never lied to you. I did.”

Jinyoung waited for the explosion. 

It didn’t come.

“What?”

Jaebeom sounded genuinely confused, narrowed eyes blinking owlishly at him. 

“I lied to you, Jaebeom. I dragged Jackson into this, not the other way around.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jinyoung sighed.

“ _ Why do you only have photos of cats?” _

Jinyoung stated calmly, watching the way Jaebeom’s confused brows furrowed deeper.

“What are you trying to prove? Jackson could have easily told you about our conversations.”

“He didn’t. Because he didn’t have them.”

“I don’t understand.”

Jinyoung sighed again and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and opening the locked screen. After a few clicks he had opened the chat pane he had grown so used to seeing over the last couple of weeks.

“I had them.”

He held the phone out towards Jaebeom, nodding his head for the other man to take it. He dropped his hand back to his lap only when Jaebeom took the phone from his hand and gazed down at the screen. He watched in silence as Jaebeom scrolled up and down, the confusion giving way to something akin to annoyance. At least he seemed to understand now.

“So you’re telling me that I never talked to Jackson?”

Jaebeom asked for clarification.

“Correct.”

Jinyoung clarified.

“This whole time it’s been you?”

Jaebeom asked again.

“Correct.”

Jinyoung verified.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jaebeom was still mad, still confused, but somewhat relieved to know that maybe Mark wouldn’t have to be hurt after all if what Jinyoung was saying was true.

“I wanted to when I realized at the table when we all met up that it was you, but then.. You just seemed so happy that it was  _ Jackson _ you thought you were talking to. I couldn’t bring myself to break the illusion and tell you it was me.”

Jinyoung explained softly.

“I didn’t think we’d talk so much afterwards and I just got so used to having our conversations that I didn’t want it to end. I was afraid you’d stop talking to me if you knew.”

“Why, though? Why go so far as to have Jackson pretend for you? Why would he even agree to that?”

Jaebeom had so many questions.

“Because he owed me. I helped him get his first modeling job and gain the confidence he has now. He’s my best friend. He’d do anything for me and.. I promised him I’d tell you the truth once he realized that he wanted something more than friendship with Mark.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you waited so long to tell me.”

“Because you’re  _ you _ !”

Jinyoung spat, hands wringing in his lap. He looked away for a moment, embarrassed with his childish antics and frustrated with himself for the way he had handled the situation.

“I’m me?”

Jaebeom repeated the words.

“Yes, Jaebeom. You’re this big shot producer with your own company and you seemed so thrilled to find out that  _ Jackson Wang _ , big shot global conglomerate owner was interested in you. How could _ I, a lowly fucking book reviewer _ ever compete with that? I couldn’t tell you the truth. That I,  _ Park Jinyoung _ , the boring book nerd liked  _ you, Lim Jaebeom _ , fucking producer of the year for two years running when you thought you had a chance with Jackson!”

Jinyoung spat, his irritation at himself and his status finally in full perspective. He had never felt so small or felt so little of his occupation until the moment he had realized that maybe he wasn’t enough for Jaebeom. That maybe the other man would be better off with Jackson, despite the fact that Jaebeom too seemed to be enamored with the worlds trapped between the covers of a good book. He kicked at the dirt beneath his shoes, a scowl forming on his plush lips.

“ _ That’s _ why you lied to me?”

Jaebeom could hardly believe his ears. Jinyoung had lied to him because he was afraid of not being good enough for him? That was it? That was the big ta-dah? He shook his head and scoffed, rolling his eyes and moving to sit down on the bench next to Jinyoung. He was still mad, but he was marginally less so, and he was far more relieved than he would care to admit at the current time. He studied Jinyoung’s face when the other male finally looked up at him, his features still showing a hint of fear. 

“Jinyoung.”

Jaebeom started, watching the way the other flinched at their closeness.

“You don’t have to be afraid. Not about that.”

He continued, the hand still holding Jinyoung’s phone moving to give it back to the other man.

Jinyoung looked down at his phone, swallowing the lump in his throat when he reached out to take it, his fingers brushing against Jaebeom’s in the process. He looked up again after pocketing the phone, his eyes searching Jaebeom’s carefully.

“You’re not mad?”

He tried, his voice trembling only slightly.

“I’m mad.”

Jaebeom confirmed.

“Then why?”

“Because I’m more relieved than I am angry with you right now.”

“Relieved? About what?”

Jaebeom snorted, shaking his head.

“About the fact that Jackson never lied to me. Or to Mark. That I don’t have to worry about my best friend stealing away the man I was falling in love with.”

Jinyoung looked down again, biting his lower lip and sighing.

“Oh.”

He couldn’t bring himself to look up as he finished what he was saying.

“You were falling in love with Jackson..”

“No.”

Jaebeom stated plainly.

“I was falling in love with you.”

JInyoung looked up again, his eyes wide and lips parted on a gasp. 

“With- With me?”

Jinyoung stammered, not fully understanding where Jaebeom was going with this.

“You are Babypeach4u, aren’t you?”

Jaebeom smirked.

Jinyoung finally understood, his features shifting from shocked to neutral, with a hint of happiness that he tried to contain shining through.

“I wasn’t happy that it was Jackson. I was just happy to put a face to the person I was talking to. They were your words that I fell in love with, not his.”

Jaebeom explained further, his eyes showing hope, rather than the malice that they had held prior to Jinyoung’s confession.

“So.. you like me then?”

Jinyoung asked, a cheeky smile playing on his lips.

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

Jaebeom confirmed, a smile of his own lighting up his face.

“Well, since we're already here.. Wanna have dinner with me?”

Jinyoung asked, nodding towards the almost forgotten barbeque restaurant behind them. It seemed like a great place to have their first date, the place that had started it all. He felt his heart flutter when Jaebeom nodded his agreement, standing ,and then reaching out his hand for Jinyoung to take it. He was more than happy to oblige, following Jaebeom into the restaurant for their very first date, but hopefully not their last.

\----------------------

It was just past 22:00 on the same evening when Jaebeom’s phone dinged with a notification from Twitter, Bam Bam having posted a new status update. He laughed out loud at the photo of him and Yugyeom squished together, Yugyeom’s lips pressed firmly against Bam Bam’s cheek with the caption “ _ Happy Valentine’s Day, nerds. _ ” Just below it was a response from Mark, a similar photo of himself and Jackson embedded with the comment: “ _ Get a room, you two _ .” in the usual Mark fashion. He laughed again as the comments section started to blow up with banter between the four people in the photos, rolling his eyes and glancing down at Jinyoung who was looking at him curiously. He smiled at him, leaning his head close and turning on his selfie camera.

“Say cheese.”

Jinyoung barely had time to register what was happening before his photo was added to the chaos on Bam Bam’s Twitter post, a cheesy picture of him and Jaebeom cuddled up on his couch, cats lurking in the background.

His phone instantly went off.

_ Cornchip: Wait, what was that? Are you and Jaebeom a thing now? _

_ Jinyoung: I’m killing you when I get home. _

He left it at that, knowing full well that if he said anything further that his time with Jaebeom would be ruined. He could explain when they were all home the next day, but for now he curled into Jaebeom’s side and turned his attention to the movie that was on screen in Jaebeom’s living room. 

It was indeed a Happy Valentine’s Day.


End file.
